The Progeny Parenting Anxiety
by SergeantFuzzyBoots
Summary: With all members of the group now parents, life seems pretty good. But it's not easy being a parent, especially when other life matters get in the way. Mainly Leonard and Penny, but includes storylines for Shamy, Howard and Bernadette, and Raj and Lucy. Rated T, but might change. WARNING: Involves physical and emotional issues of advanced maternal age.
1. The Birthday Introduction

**So this is an idea I've been toying with for over a year now, and in the past month or so I've finally put more work into writing it. While the primary focus/couple of this story will be Leonard and Penny, each couple has a storyline that will receive a good chunk of concentration and, hopefully satisfying moments throughout this fic. This story will also get rather dramatic and angsty as it progresses, so just a heads up there. It's also going to be rather long, so again, just a heads up. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy this, and that it's as fun for you to read as it's been for me to write so far.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the offspring of these lovely characters.**

Penny almost always had good mornings. Waking up in a warm bed, snuggled up against her husband, their hands usually linked. Sure there were the mornings where she'd wake up sick, or when Leonard would be away on a research trip or some other matter, but those were easily forgotten – especially when Leonard began her morning the way he was starting this one.

The Nebraskan leaned into the kisses he was placing on her neck, keeping her eyes closed and breathing contentedly. "What do you think you're doing there?" she asked, grinning as he tightened his hold on her and simultaneously pushed his face closer into her shoulder.

"Being a loving and affectionate husband," he replied, his voice somewhat muffled by the kisses.

Penny smirked. "Well as much as I appreciate that, lover boy, we don't have time for that this morning."

"We could go fast."

"Even with how fast you go, we still wouldn't have time."

Leonard ceased with what he was doing and sat up, frowning at his wife. "Hey," he said.

Penny rolled her eyes before mirroring his upright position. She tapped his lower lip with her pointer finger. "Last night wasn't enough love and affection for you?"

"No, it was great. But you know as a scientist it's in my nature to want to replicate results," he said, inching his face closer to hers as he spoke.

Their lips met in the middle for a quick kiss, barely separating before reconnecting again. Penny's hands went to his neck as the kissing continued; her grip was almost too tight as she tried to restrain herself from tugging at the collar of his T-shirt. The kiss deepened as Leonard's arms encircled her waist, but the act of intimacy extended no further, interrupted by the sound of tiny feet padding down the hall.

The couple separated and looked to the doorway just as their son appeared clad in his _Superman _pyjamas, and big brown eyes glinting with barely contained excitement.

"Hi," he said, making his way over to them. He clambered onto the bed and then crawled in between his parents before slipping under the covers. The boy took a moment to look from one to the other. "Are you guys up yet?"

"Just about," Leonard said, putting on his glasses. He grinned teasingly down at his son. "Why? What's the hurry?"

"Dad," he said, clearly not amused. "It's my birthday."

The experimental physicist smirked. "Wow, Nathan. Turning seven has made you awfully serious."

"More like his sense of humour just has standards," Penny quipped. Leonard rolled his eyes.

Ignoring her husband, the blonde leaned down and kissed her son on the nose. His face scrunched up in the embarrassed way it always did whenever someone kissed him. "Happy birthday, baby boy," she said, grinning.

"I'm not a baby, I'm seven," Nathan insisted.

"Yeah, well you're always my baby, so deal with it." She ruffled his smooth, brown hair before rising from the bed. "Up and at 'em if you want French toast, birthday boy."

Nathan didn't have to be told twice. He sprang from the bed and then sprinted down the hall. Leonard and Penny were quick to follow him; it was a battle to drag him away from his video games to get him to school on time, but on his birthday, their son was not a fan of tardiness.

Upon reaching the sunlit kitchen, they found both children seated at the polished wood breakfast table. Nathan sat waiting expectantly, the eagerness that filled is little body causing his legs to swing aggressively back and forth. Around the other side of the table was their nine year old daughter, still in her pyjamas (light blue ones covered with golden snitches) but wide awake as her green eyes feasted over the book in front of her – _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

"Nearly done, huh, Chloe?" Leonard observed. He took a seat next to her, leaning over to see what page she was on. "Did you get to the part where – "

"Spoilers!" Chloe protested, frantically waving a hand at her father.

He grinned. "Okay, I'm just saying, it's a great part when – "

"Daddy!"

Leonard chuckled, holding his hands up defensively. He relaxed his arms after a moment, letting his left one settle around his daughter's shoulders. Chloe glanced suspiciously at him from the corner of her eye, still alert for any fiction spoilers her father might be waiting to reveal. Eventually, though, the draw of the book in her hands was too great and she returned to her reading.

"That's a pretty big grin for a guy who temporarily stopped living with Sheldon because he got spoiled for _Harry Potter_," Penny commented, going to the fridge to start on the French toast.

Her husband was about to respond, but Nathan beat him to it. "When's Uncle Sheldon getting here?" he asked. "And Aunt Amy, and Uncle Howard, and Joel - "

"You know they're coming tonight at five," Penny said. She began cracking eggs into a bowl.

The boy sighed dramatically. "But that's ..." he trailed off and scrunched his face up in concentration for a moment, glancing at the clock on the stove. "Eight and a half hours away! What am I supposed to do until then?"

"You could read," Chloe suggested, not looking up from her book.

Her brother grimaced in distaste. Unlike his sister, he had not been bitten by the book bug, despite her efforts to entice him with fiction novels.

"Well for starters," Penny said, now soaking slices of bread in the egg mixture. "You're gonna eat breakfast. Grandpa and Grandma want to Skype with you this afternoon, so you'll have that to look forward to. And then you'll be needing a bath before everyone gets here."

Nathan's jaw dropped. "A _bath_? But it's my birthday!"

"All the more reason for you to be clean," his mother reasoned.

"I could just play video games instead," he suggested.

"Plenty of time to do both, Mister Nathan."

The boy turned his pleadings to his father. "Dad, do I have to?" he whined. He scooted closer. "We could play _Justice League_!"

"Sure we can," Leonard agreed. "You can be Aquaman and go for a swim."

"I don't wanna be Aquaman, he sucks!"

"Nathan!" Penny said sharply.

"He's no good!"

"Aw," Leonard grinned, tightening his hold on his daughter and ruffling his son's hair. "My two little nerdlings."

Penny rolled her eyes, but also couldn't help but beam as she placed the toast in the fry pan.

* * *

Nathan fiddled with the Wii controller impatiently. He was slumped on the old, grey couch in the basement in front of the TV, watching the Mario characters jump around the main menu of the game, temptingly inviting him to start. The boy looked to his sister who was on the other side of the chesterfield, blonde hair now combed to smoothness, and sporting a light pink dress. Her Wii controller sat abandoned next to her and her nose was where it always was: buried beneath the pages of a book.

"Are you ready to start yet?" he moaned.

"Just let me finish this chapter," she mumbled, too immersed in her reading to give even their conversation her full attention.

Nathan let out a long sigh and then looked at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes to five. It was better than eight and a half hours, but it still felt like a long time to wait for the seven year old. He'd reluctantly bathed and had his hair combed (in a rather stiff way that he didn't like) and was wearing a green sweater and light brown pants. His mother had said he looked handsome, but Nathan didn't really care; he was more concerned with how much longer it would be before he got to play. At least once the waiting was over, Joel would be there and able to play video games; he was much more fun to play with than Chloe. Ariel was good to have as an extra player, too. Marie would sit and watch and be a know-it-all, even though she never played video games, so how would she know? Ajay would play and slow everything down because he was five and too little to be any good, but he'd cry and get everyone in trouble if they left him out. But Joel would be good to play with.

The boy's contemplations were interrupted by the door bell ringing, causing the young Hofstadter to eagerly launch himself from the couch and bolt up the stairs to the front hall, fingers crossed that the Wolowitz's had arrived first.

His wish was granted when his father opened the front door to reveal the tiny couple and their twin boy and girl. Joel stepped inside first, black hair styled like his father's concealed under a camouflage coloured ball cap. He wore a black turtleneck and matching pants.

"Hey, Nathan," he said, grinning impishly. "Happy one-year-closer-to-death day!"

"Joel!" Bernadette scolded, making her way inside with a festively wrapped object.

Her son simply shrugged. "Dad said it first."

"Yeah, and I was gonna say it," Ariel grumbled, glaring at her brother.

"Is someone talking about Death days?" Chloe asked, unable to hide her enthusiasm as she came up the stairs. Her book was clutched in her hand, a finger lodged between the pages to prevent her from losing her spot.

"Not the kind you're thinking of, honey," Leonard said, grinning.

"Oh," she said, slightly disappointed. "Hi, Uncle Howard, hi, Aunt Bernadette." She moved forward to hug each of them before moving on to talk to Ariel.

Howard moved further into the front hall after hugging the blonde girl. "There's Nathaniel the Man-iel," he said, poking the boy's arm.

"'Maniel' is _not_ a word."

The statement came from a tiny, bodiless voice behind the small group. A male voice quickly responded.

"No, it's not a word, Marie. But Uncle Howard said it and, according to your mother, instead of trying to better his mind and teach him, we're simply supposed to 'let it go'."

"Sheldon," Amy sighed.

"Just following your orders, Dr. Fowler," the theoretical physicist replied. He stepped through the doorway, into view of the rest of the group. He raised a hand in greeting and smiled pleasantly at the engineer who was shooting him daggers. "Hi, Howard."

"Sheldon," he grumbled, rolling his eyes.

A small girl with dark brown hair that reached just past her chin followed her father into the house, her neurobiologist mother bringing up the rear. She made her way over to the youngest Hofstadter child.

"Hi, Nathan. Happy birthday," she said promptly, almost sounding rehearsed. She leaned forward and hugged him.

"Thanks," Nathan mumbled, arms stiff at his sides and clearly very uncomfortable with the display of affection. Joel's smirk didn't make him enjoy it any more.

Amy beamed down at the two embracing, nudging both Penny and Bernadette.

"Uh, Nathan, don't you think Marie and Ariel look nice?" Penny asked once Marie had let him go, discreetly raising an eyebrow at her overly excited bestie.

The boy glanced between the two girls. Marie was wearing a purple dress and shiny, black shoes with buckles on them. Ariel had her light brown hair in pigtails and was wearing a sky blue dress. Frankly, he thought dresses were quite weird, and didn't understand why girls wore them, but he knew an answer like that would get him in trouble, and he wanted to play video games.

"Um, yeah, I guess so."

"Ooh!" Amy trilled. She looked expectantly at Bernadette.

The microbiologist sighed. "And, Joel, don't you think Marie looks very pretty?"

"Sure," Joel said dismissively, not even bothering to look. "Can Nathan and I go play the Wii now?"

"Wait for me! Wait for me!"

A squeaky voice announced the arrival of Raj, Lucy, and their son Ajay. The five year old looked almost identical to his father, with his smooth, black hair, his dark eyes, and melt-in-your-mouth-caramel complexion. He was towing his parents by the hands, almost looking like the tiny bow of a ship the way he leaned forward and how his arms were stretched behind him.

He came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the hall, Raj and Lucy skidding to a stop behind him. "I wanna play, too!" Ajay beamed around at everyone, displaying a wide view of his rows of baby teeth.

Penny grinned at the boy's unrestrained enthusiasm. "Yes, go play," she said, turning to head back up the stairs to the kitchen. "Now that Raj is here, we can finally start cooking," she mumbled. Leonard nodded discreetly at her comment.

"And you're all going to play _nicely_," Bernadette said sternly, her sentence addressing them all, but her eyes focused only on Joel. Her son gave a quick jerk of his head, and then led the way down the stairs to the basement, Ajay and Nathan right behind him.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

Raj turned away from the oven where he was, as he put it, "slaving" over chicken strips, and frowned at Penny's inquiry. He stared for a moment before replying. "Please don't," he said. With that he returned to his cooking, tightening his apron as he did so.

The blonde rolled her eyes at his attitude.

"Sorry about him," Lucy said, offering an apologetic smile. "He's kind of a perfectionist when it comes to this stuff."

"Eh, it's fine," Penny said dismissively. "I didn't really want to help, I just felt obligated to ask."

"Like when 'we' pay taxes," Leonard mumbled, earning a nudge in the shoulder from his wife.

Howard smirked, leaning across the kitchen table to address Lucy. "Does he ever let you cook at home?"

"Never," she said. "Sometimes I wish he would, though – one time I had to tell him that the shrimp he made weren't good ..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "He cried."

The snickering the group at the table engaged in was cut short by Raj. "While you're talking," he said loudly. "It might help you to remember that, while I'm currently in the culinary zone, I can still hear everything you're saying."

"Sure thing, sweetie!" Lucy smiled shyly when her comment caused the rest of the group to laugh.

"I can't believe they're all almost seven already," Amy said, a warm smile on her face. The group nodded, Penny with an expression to match her Bestie's.

Looking back on it, it had been a rather hectic time – but, then, that was probably to be expected when three of the four women in one's social group got pregnant at the same time. With Leonard and Penny having their second child, Howard and Bernadette expecting twins, and Sheldon and Amy waiting on their benign overlord, as Howard had put it (only once due to the death glare his wife had given him afterwards), Raj had been the lucky one out for once during those nine months.

"Yes, all almost seven," Sheldon agreed, an excited smile playing at his lips. "Youngest of course being Marie, who, while still six years old, already has intellectual superiority over most nine year old's. As can be noticed when compared to the eldest Hofstadter child," he added quickly, though unable to contain an eager bounce in his chair.

Leonard frowned at his former roommate. "It's not a competition, Sheldon."

"No, of course not," the theoretical physicist agreed. "But I'm winning," he whispered.

"_We_," Amy mumbled.

"Oh, yes, you, too, you helped!" Sheldon said, patting his wife on the arm.

"I agree," she said. "My womb acting as a safe haven for our daughter for nine months before going through a twelve hour labour, and then expelling her from the birth canal was a great help." The neurobiologist raised an eyebrow at her husband, but his mind was already jumping ahead to new avenues.

"Soon she'll be skipping grades, receiving offers from the most prestigious universities, and then following in her father's footsteps as a theoretical physicist." The Texan sighed dreamily.

"She'll have blossomed into a smart, beautiful young woman, achieving her dreams, falling in love ..." Amy grinned mischievously across the table at Penny and Bernadette.

The two blondes simply offered tight smiles in response. Upon the discovery that the three of them were pregnant, the neurobiologist had been ecstatic, quickly developing the dream of two of the three expected children to one day fall in love. The fact that four babies had ended up coming into the world had made Amy all the more determined. However they decided to pair themselves off, the two couples would live happily ever after. While Penny and Bernadette weren't forbidding it, between the group of them (including the children), Amy was definitely the only invested participant in the arrangement of these matches.

"Joel! Stop making your Yoshi eat me!"

Ajay's pitiful whine echoed up the stairs and into the kitchen, causing both Lucy and Bernadette to sigh.

"You're going too slow; it's the only way to keep you from falling behind," Joel said simply.

"But then I doesn't get to play!"

"You _don't _get to play," Marie corrected.

"Yeah, that's sort of the point," Joel said at the same time.

"Mama!"

Howard glanced over at Raj as the two mothers headed down the stairs, Bernadette clenching her fists. "That dinner almost ready, pal? I think we're gonna be needing a distraction."

Penny looked through the screen of her phone as she set the camera function to record. With dinner, cake, and presents finished, the four families were now seated around the kitchen table, everyone thoroughly relaxed. After having been consoled with chicken nuggets and cake over his earlier dispute with Joel, Ajay had fallen asleep on his mother's lap, too tired out to even make it through Nathan opening his gifts. Lucy was now stroking her son's head, Raj's arm around her. Ariel, Chloe, and Marie were gathered around Amy and Bernadette, listening as they swapped work stories. Sheldon was lingering close by, probably trying to ensure that his daughter wasn't enticed by the "yucky, squishy" profession of biology over his. Across from them, Leonard and Howard were talking while their respective sons were seated on their laps, having a battle with the _Justice League_ action figures Nathan had received for his birthday.

These certainly weren't the kind of films Penny had envisioned herself making at this age when she was a little girl, but as the camera stopped on her husband and son, the mother of two had to be grateful that her life had worked out differently.

**So there's the first chapter; I wanted to get all the families introduced to start things off. Lucy is in this fic, and she's been with the group for a while now, hopefully I've struck a good balance with the more nervous side of her we've seen on the show, and the more comfortable side we got glimpses of from time to time. Also, I know the name Marie is a popular one for a Shamy baby in fics, so I don't mean to be stealing that from any one fic or author, just that, due to the Madame Currie connection, it really does seem like the best fit for her name. Finally, on a crackier side, in this fic there will be a mention of two recurring characters having hooked up and conceived a child together in the past. One of these recurring characters went on to get together with a different recurring character (and by recurring character, I mean recurring on the show). So because the idea really doesn't have all that much relevance to the fic other than utterly amusing me (and hopefully the rest of you) I thought to spice up its eventual appearance, I'd see if any of you could guess which three recurring characters they are (and how they paired up at different times). Whoever guesses it first gets a cookie. Except I actually don't have any to give since this is the Internet, but, I don't know, maybe I'll write the winner a one shot. But, really, who wants a prize? We're all winners here, right? *Raj voice as I run away* I just wanted to do something beautiful!**


	2. The Back Ache Insecurity

**So here's the next chapter. I think I'll probably be updating every Friday or so, if all goes well. Hope you guys enjoy this. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

The city streets of Pasadena were rushing by in a blur and Penny hardly noticed as she drove home from work. It was only when a car honked at her that she registered how fast she was going. Slamming on her breaks, the blonde inhaled deeply, trying to get her focus back on the road. She couldn't afford to be distracted right now, she had to pick up Chloe and Nathan from Raj and Lucy's place. Chloe and Nathan. Her babies. The word that normally caused her so much joy was sending an unpleasant sensation through her stomach today. She took a few more deep breaths, though it didn't help much.

She was thirty-nine years old, and with August nearing its end, fall would be arriving soon. And with fall came her fortieth birthday. Such an event hadn't been causing her as much stress as it was now. She had a loving family, a great job with a theatre company, and even got some voice acting and commercials gigs from time to time. Her life was wonderful, more wonderful than anything she'd dreamed up as a child, or that she'd desired in her twenties. And now on the subject of her twenties: how the hell was she almost in her forties? It wasn't that she was longing for some past time in her life, or felt she'd missed out on anything. She held no nostalgia for youthful beauty – she didn't really need to; she was looking pretty damn good for thirty-nine if she did say so herself. But today she wouldn't have minded being five years younger. And she wouldn't have minded Leonard being part of that deal, also.

Wrapped up in her thoughts again, Penny nearly missed the turn onto Raj and Lucy's street, being forced to twist the steering wheel sharply in order to make it. She earned herself another disgruntled honk from the car behind her. She had to get a grip. She couldn't drive like this with the kids in the car – especially since she was also picking up Marie, and she knew Sheldon always interrogated his daughter about how the car ride was. Nosey bastard.

Raj and Lucy's apartment was on the sixth floor. Penny usually took the stairs since it wasn't that high up, but today she opted for the elevator, wanting as little time alone with her thoughts as possible.

Since Lucy worked from home on her prom websites, that left her free to watch the kids during the summer while the rest of the group was at work. Only Joel and Ariel weren't babysat by Lucy, as Mrs. Wolowitz wouldn't hear of her grandchildren staying anywhere else but with her when Howard and Bernadette were busy. The twins didn't mind, though; their grandmother spoiled them rotten. In any case, it was better that Joel and Ajay weren't spending every day together, otherwise they'd probably have to start paying for the looking after Lucy did for the kids.

The sound of running footsteps quickly followed Penny's knocking on the apartment door. Ajay opened it a moment later, showing off a big smile when he saw her.

"Hi, Aunt Penny!" he said, throwing himself forward to hug her around the legs.

"Hey, Ajay," she said, ruffling his hair. "Good day?"

The boy nodded vigorously, leading her inside the apartment. "Played _Star Wars_ with Nathan. And my Mommy made French fries for lunch!" He looked up at Penny with an expression that suggested the day had been the greatest of his life, even though most of his summer days had been spent like that. That's what was nice about Ajay: he was almost always optimistic. Rather unlike his parents, the five year old eagerly participated in every experience presented to him, only becoming sad when he was excluded from one. Penny was glad of it, knowing Raj and Lucy had been slightly worried about their son somehow inheriting their tendency towards anxiety.

Chloe and Marie were on the couch, looking through a large picture book about the solar system. Despite being two years younger, Marie was having no trouble keeping up with the complex captions at the bottom of each page, sometimes going even faster than Chloe. From the other end of the couch, Nathan was watching them, Gameboy held limply in his hand. His brow was scrunched up and his brown eyes squinting.

"What ... what's a ker-kercum ... fer -"

"Circumference," Marie said promptly, perking up at the chance to demonstrate her knowledge. "It's detailing the Earth's circumference." She pointed to the picture on the page. "That's the Earth there."

"I know _that_!" Nathan snapped grumpily, removing himself from the chesterfield.

"Hey, Mister Nathan," Penny said, tipping his head back as she ran a hand through his hair, so his eyes locked onto hers. "Were you good for Lucy?"

"He was great!" Ajay said enthusiastically, jumping a little.

Penny smirked, looking over to the kitchen table where Lucy was sitting with her laptop. "Does your son's report check out?"

Lucy smiled. "Yeah, there were all very good." She chuckled a little as she stood up, revealing herself to have been holding Cinnamon on her lap. "It was this one who caused the most trouble."

Ajay burst into a fit of giggles, putting his hands to his mouth to try and stifle his laughter, but it really did no good. "She peed on the rug," he revealed, eyes flickering from each person mischievously as though it were the most wonderfully wicked secret.

Lucy raised an amused eyebrow at her son. "Yeah," she said. "I didn't think it was all that funny while I was cleaning it up."

"Aw," Penny laughed as she reached out a hand to scratch Cinnamon's ears. "Old girl's going senile."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed. "Don't tell Raj, though. I'm still trying to convince him that she's not ready for doggy diapers yet." She nodded when Penny wrinkled her nose. "And he wants to buy monogrammed ones when the time comes."

"Still having trouble losing his expensive taste, is he?" Penny meant it as a joke, but Lucy's smile faltered at the comment, her face regaining the nervous air it had had when she first started hanging out with the group. The blonde bit her lip, feeling guilty; she always tried to keep conversations between her and Lucy upbeat, considering their first encounter together. They'd all become good friends at this point, but even after years of growing more confident and comfortable, she still had eruptions of anxiety.

"Look, thanks again for watching them," Penny forged on, lightly touching the other woman's shoulder. "I really appreciate it."

"Yeah," Lucy said, calming down but still slightly on edge. "No problem."

"No trouble at all!" Ajay contributed, his grin wider than ever.

Penny looked warmly down at him. "Glad to hear it. Alright, kids, let's get going!"

The four of them took the stairs on the way down, discussions from each child about how their day was keeping Penny's mind occupied.

It took longest to get everyone into the car, with Nathan wanting to ride in front ("Not gonna happen" had been Penny's response to that), Chloe wanting a window seat, Marie wanting to sit next to Chloe, and Nathan, still sour from Marie's pointing out the Earth to him earlier, not wanting to sit next to Ms. Cooper. In the end, the boy was left disappointed, with the Hofstadter children sitting on either side of Marie.

Penny was glad that her son chose to distract himself by playing his Gameboy as opposed to arguing with Marie, like the two were known to do when put in close quarters together. On the other hand, the calm environment left nothing to distract _her_ with. She probably would have speeded had the kids not been in the car, just to make the trip be over faster. They were headed to the university, to drop Marie off with her parents and pick up Leonard. After Penny's truck had irreparably bit the dust, the Hofstadter family only had one car; they hadn't bought a replacement in order to save money. The blonde's palms tingled uncomfortably at the thought of money ... maybe she could speed up just a little.

"Okay, Marie, where do you want to go?" Penny asked, when they pulled into the visitors' parking lot. "Your Mommy's lab or your Dad's office?"

"Mommy's lab," the girl replied, unbuckling her seat belt. "She's dissecting a brain today."

Each member of the Hofstadter family grimaced. They'd have to make it a short visit.

The four made their way through the white hallways of Caltech, Marie whispering excitedly to Chloe about her mother's current work. Nathan was still playing his Gameboy, and Penny kept having to push him ahead of her to keep him from falling behind.

Marie rushed forward when they neared the door to Amy's lab, rapping on it smartly with her tiny knuckles even though it was open. No daughter of Sheldon Cooper's would do anything so rude as barge into a place without knocking.

Amy beamed warmly when she saw her daughter in the doorway. "Marie!" she said, pulling her gloves off and then crouching down so she could pick the little girl up.

"Hi, Mommy!" the brunette said, giving the neurobiologist a tight squeeze before focusing her attention on the table below and all its contents. "Where's the brain tumour?" she asked eagerly.

Nathan's face contorted in disgust as Amy used one of her tools to lift the malignant blob of cells up for everyone to see. He quickly turned his back, hiding his face in his Gameboy. Having left her book in the car, Chloe was left with no way that was dignified to hide the vision from sight, so the little blonde just stood there uncomfortably, fists clenched rigidly by her sides. Noticing this, Penny put a hand on her daughters head in a way that caused her fingers to fall in front of her green eyes.

"Yeah," Penny said, voice somewhat strained as she battled to fight her own gag reflex. "Yeah, so I think we're gonna go now."

"Thanks for dropping her off!" Amy said, seeming not to notice the Hofstadter family's discomfort judging by her continued smile.

"Thanks, Aunt Penny!" Marie said, not taking her fascinated blue eyes off of the brain. "Bye, Chloe, bye, Nathan."

"Bye," the children chorused, before following their mother back into the hall.

"Mommy, can we watch _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves _when we get home?" Marie's voice could be heard from the hallway. "I finished all the homework Daddy gave me, and did some extra reading."

From brain tumours to princesses. Marie Cooper was certainly something special.

* * *

Chloe was first through the door when they reached Leonard's lab, not bothering to knock in her haste to get to him.

"Hi, Daddy!" she said, jumping into his arms.

Leonard smiled as he hugged her close. "There's my baby girl," he said, tilting his head so he could see her better. "How was your day?"

"I finished _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_!" she informed him excitedly. "But I didn't bring the fourth book with me, so I haven't started it yet."

The experimental physicist chuckled. "Well then I guess we'd better get on home. But not before I say hi to my baby boy," he said, crouching down again to pick Nathan up with his other arm. Unfortunately, his two children proved to be too much weight for his back to handle, and he was forced to bend over again, letting Chloe down before he could lift Nathan all the way up. Penny's stomach clenched unpleasantly at the sight of Leonard's body showing its age.

Not phased by his father's slight mishap, Nathan frowned at Leonard, putting his hands on his chest. "I'm not a baby," he informed him.

Leonard smirked. "Alright, Mister Nathan, you win." He returned his son to the ground and then made his way over to his wife, giving her a smile. "And there's my baby," he said before planting a kiss on her lips. Penny gave him a halfhearted smile in response, still too nervous to relax.

Nathan watched them quizzically, raising an eyebrow. "Mom's not your baby," he stated, sounding thoroughly confused.

"Yes, she is," his father replied, arms encircling Penny's waist. "And I'm hers." Penny's arms remained limply at her sides.

The seven year old simply shook his head at this, not in the mood to understand why his parents were so strange.

* * *

"Hello, hello!" Raj said as he came in through the apartment door.

"Daddy!" Ajay launched himself from the couch, the blanket Raj had brought with him from India when he moved to America falling to the floor behind him.

The astrophysicist scooped his son up, letting him rest horizontally against his outstretched arms, and beginning to spin in a slow circle.

"Time for Superman to do some flying!"

"I wanna be Batman," Ajay said.

Raj smirked. "Okay, then time for Batman to do some _gliding_."

"What's gliding mean?"

"It's what you're doing –_ whee_!" Raj yelled, beginning to run around the living room with his son, alternating his altitude so he went up and down.

The five year old kicked his legs as he let out a burst of uncontrollable giggles, causing Cinnamon to give a low yip – not playfully, but in a way that sounded as though she wanted the child to keep it down.

Raj zipped around the kitchen area, grinning at Lucy as he passed by. Doing a quick spin, he doubled back into the living room.

"Trouble on the couch, Batman," he informed the boy, beginning to slow down. "Blanket in distress." He gently tossed his son onto the sofa, receiving a squeal of protest from Ajay.

Raj returned to the kitchen, leaning over the table to place a kiss on Lucy's lips.

"Hey, I wanted to see Mommy, too!" their son called, the blanket still on the floor in need of rescuing.

"You've seen Mommy all day," Raj pointed out. He grinned. "Now it's Daddy's turn." The astrophysicist moved behind her chair, beginning to rub her shoulders. "So how was your day?"

"Uh, pretty good," Lucy replied, gesturing to the computer screen. "I've almost finished the design for this new prom dress site."

"Ooh, pretty!" Raj said, looking over the purple and silver striped background that housed various headings for different styles of dresses. "I like the little sparkles that start falling when you move the mouse."

"Yeah, I thought of you when I added those." Lucy leaned her head back to smile at him, placing her left hand on top of his upon her shoulder.

Raj returned the smile, eyes staring into hers before moving down to her hand. He tried not to let his happy expression falter. The ring on her hand was small, a diamond that was half a carat; he hadn't been able to afford much more given the time frame – although, as he'd learned over the past five years, he wasn't very good at saving money, anyway.

Five years. It was a long time to be engaged. Granted, they'd had Ajay, and hadn't planned on getting married right away. They were all together, and that's what was important. Still, it didn't stop Raj from craving more. They were getting older, and he still yearned for that fairytale ending of romance he'd fantasized about as a boy. It was like looking through his telescope and seeing all the stars aligned to create a formation, yet it lacked a name. It remained incomplete, unofficial.

The astrophysicist thumbed the engagement ring pensively. He opened his mouth to speak, but before a word could escape, Ajay was running over, dragging the blanket behind him like a cape. He held it up to his father.

"Here, Daddy. I saved it."

Raj smirked at the boy, grinning at Lucy when he caught her eye. Apparently Batman still had yet to master the art of cleaning up. He _had_ always had mixed feelings about the caped crusader.

* * *

Penny's chest fluttered when she heard the shower shut off, followed by the scratchy, metallic noise of the curtain being drawn back. Leonard would be back in the bedroom in a few moments, and then she'd have to start talking; a seemingly simple task that was currently piercing her with a fear she hadn't felt in a very long time.

She was seated on the edge of her side of the bed, back to the door, twisting the sheets up in her sweating palms. There was a wedding picture of her and Leonard on the bedside table, him behind her with his arms around her waist and his head resting on her shoulder, and Penny leaning her cheek against his face, and her hands over top of his. It had been taken eleven years ago. Years that had been filled with having kids, buying a house, family trips, getting older ... time went by fast.

"Hey, so I was thinking," Leonard said, almost causing Penny to jump. He was in his robe, drying his hair with a small towel. "There's only a few weeks before the kids have to go back to school, so maybe we could take them all to Disneyland before the summer's over." He hung the towel on the door, and Penny bit her lip, squeezing the sheets so tightly her nails were able to dig into her skin through the fabric. "None of them have actually been before, and it could be fun to do with the whole group. I know Lucy's still not crazy about crowds, but she's been getting a lot better, and - "

"I think I'm pregnant."

Penny kept her eyes on her knees, not looking up to see her husband's reaction. Whatever his face looked like, though, his response was a silent one. Moments went by before she heard him move, feet shuffling slowly against the floor before the bed sank lower and he was sitting next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

She finally raised her gaze, green eyes meeting his brown ones. It was the reaction she'd expected, the one she'd had when she'd realized she was late: shock mingled with confusion – though while they'd been careful, neither of them could really be confused about how this had happened.

"Are you s - ... did you take a test?" he asked quietly.

"No," she replied, a hand going up to her face. His hold on her shoulder tightened. "I've been too scared to take one."

"Well ... do you have any here?"

Penny's hand fell to her side and she glared at Leonard, her anxiety quickly transforming into annoyance. "_No_, Leonard, I don't have any pregnancy tests in the house!" she snapped, getting to her feet. "Because in case you didn't notice, it's been seven years since I last had a baby, and we're in our freaking forties!"

"You're only thirty-nine," he said tentatively.

"Close enough! Thank you for that _much _needed correction, genius!" She folded her arms across her chest, waiting for him to join her in her anger, telling her she had no reason to snap at him, and then throw a bunch of logical arguments in her face.

But he didn't. He simply waited, giving her a look filled with nothing but love and sympathy. She sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. She returned to the bed, letting her head fall against his shoulder, and wrapping her arms around his stomach while his encircled her body.

"Lots of people have babies in their forties," he said gently, laying his chin on top of her head.

She sighed. "I know. But it feels wrong, you know? It feels too late for us now. With the kids getting older, I thought we were done with babies." Penny sat up slightly so she could see him more. "Plus, we'll be so old to them! By the time the baby's ten, we'll be in our fifties, and Chloe and Nathan will be almost twenty, and it just ..." She put a hand to her mouth, but that didn't stop her voice from cracking. "It feels like we screwed up. Like we're going to let this baby down."

Leonard hugged her tighter, heart twisting in pain as he felt her tears wet his neck. "Honey, it's okay," he whispered, trying to keep his own eyes from growing too moist. When she cried, he cried. But tears of commiseration weren't what she needed right now. "I know this is scary – believe me, I'm scared, too, but ..." he pulled back slightly, putting a hand on her stomach. "If there's a baby in there, nothing is going to stop us from loving it." The experimental physicist gave her a small smile. "I'll even drive them to Comic-Con when I'm eighty." He grinned wider when he got Penny to smile. "Plus, when you think about it, they're luckier than Chloe and Nathan. They'll be getting us in our wise years."

Penny snorted. "Considering Chloe can already read faster than I can, I don't think I'm ever gonna have wise years."

Leonard chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "They'll still love you."

"Yeah?" Penny asked, her voice small, nearly a whisper.

She frowned, puzzled, as her husband stood from the bed, heading over to their chest of drawers. He removed one of the larger picture frames that were displayed on top, bringing it back to the bed with him. Penny smiled when she saw it. It was a long, rectangular frame, filled with many photos. The ones on the left were professional shots they'd taken about a week after Chloe was born. Leonard and Penny were dressed all in white, smiling as they cuddled their new baby girl. There were also some individual shots; some of Leonard nuzzling Chloe's nose, or letting her grasp one of his fingers. Then there were the ones of Penny and Chloe, her daughter holding onto her securely as Penny kissed her forehead. On the far right were the pictures of Nathan as a newborn, Leonard and Penny in the same white clothes, taking similar pictures. Penny almost laughed when she saw the one of Nathan sucking on Leonard's chin – clearly it had been close to feeding time. The pictures that contained Penny and Nathan made her lip tremble just a little; the boy had been so content that he'd fallen asleep in her arms.

Penny looked back up at Leonard, trying to blink back the tears. When blinking didn't seem to work (especially because she could see the dampness in his own eyes), she settled for kissing him to stem the flow. "I love you," she whispered upon pulling back.

He smiled at her. "I love you, too."

**So, just to clarify on the chance that anyone reading this got offended, I am absolutely not against people in their forties and onward having children. However, I chose to go with this point of view because I figured it especially made sense with the baby being unplanned, and there being such an age gap between Leonard and Penny's other children, and I think a certain amount of anxiety or uncertainty about having babies when you're older can be normal. When I was seven my dad turned fifty, and even at that age, the idea that he was a lot older than my friends' dad's and worries about his longevity were in my head a lot. But I know it doesn't worry everyone; my brother's younger than I am, and our dad's age has never worried him at all. In any case, I just wanted to make that clear so as not to upset anyone unintentionally.**

**And with regards to the guessing game, Zack has been guessed so far, and I can reveal that Zack is not one of the characters of the three to guess. To offer up a hint: the three characters consist of two men and one woman. Discern what you will from that.**


	3. The Tradition Utilization

**Here's chapter three Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far; I really appreciate it, and hopefully these chapters keep you coming back. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Leonard hadn't been entirely sure how he'd find Penny the next morning. He'd managed to calm her down that night, but that didn't necessarily mean he'd vanquished all of her fears about the possible baby growing inside of her. It was with some relief then that, after waking up to find her side of the bed empty, to enter the kitchen and find her pouring cereal for Chloe and Nathan with a smile on her face, gently removing the Gameboy from her son's tiny hands.

"Aw, Mom," the boy complained as his electronic device was replaced with a spoon.

"Eat breakfast. Then you can have it back," his mother instructed. "Chloe, that goes for your book, too, sweetie."

"But -" the girl began to protest.

"If you want to know what happens next so badly, I could always just tell you," Leonard teased, coming up behind her. His daughter jumped, thrusting her book aside and digging in to her cereal.

Grinning, Leonard made his way around the table, coming to a stop in front of Penny. He rested his forehead against hers and slid his arms around her. "You doing okay?" he asked.

She smiled at him as she nodded. "Yeah. Really good, actually." Penny bit her lip, trying to prevent her face from beaming too hard. She caught his eye while doing so and lost the battle.

Leonard kissed her, more enthusiastically than he'd planned to, but he couldn't help it. He was rather impressed with the turn around she'd had. It'd been many years since her commitment issues had been at their worst, but he'd feared that something like a surprise baby at this age would send her spiralling back to that place of fear. He was really proud of her.

"We're eating here," Nathan mumbled, face scrunching up uncomfortably.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "It's just kissing."

"It's gross!"

"Is not!"

"Okay, okay," Penny said, pulling away. "No one's kissing, no one's fighting, everybody's eating. Get a move on, you guys have swimming lessons today."

"Am I taking them, or are you?" Leonard asked, getting his own cereal before joining his family at the table.

"Actually, I thought we'd both go," Penny said She smiled at him. "Nice way to spend the day together."

Leonard nodded, pleasantly surprised. "Alright, cool."

Penny extended her pointer finger and touched his lower lip.

"No kissing ..." Nathan said uncertainly.

Penny moved her finger across the table, letting it rest on her son's lips.

"No kissing," she agreed.

* * *

Nathan was doing and breast stroke, and Chloe was doing kneeling dives while Leonard and Penny sat on the uncomfortable chairs provided at the outdoor pool. Their hands were linked, growing hot and sweaty under the summer heat, but they didn't care.

"Let's do it tonight, okay?" Penny said, leaning her head against her husband's shoulder. "Take the test?"

Leonard grinned. "Suddenly very eager, are we?" He was teasing, but underneath the playfulness, the experimental physicist was very pleased. He'd seen this kind of happiness in her before, the kind that had come when they'd had Chloe, and then again when she became pregnant with Nathan. That she'd managed to get to this point so quickly after being in such a state of distress was wonderful.

"It's still scary," she admitted. "I mean, realistically, if we'd discussed it beforehand, I don't think I would've chosen to have a baby now, but ... if this is happening," she shrugged. "After last night, it also makes me happy, you know?"

He kissed her cheek. "That's good,"he said. "So, are we gonna need someone to watch the kids while you ... you know ..."

"Pee on some sticks?" Penny offered, raising an eyebrow.

Leonard smirked. "Yes, that."

"Let's see if they can stay at Howard and Bernadette's for the night. I don't think Nathan would forgive us if we made him have a sleepover with Marie."

"Amy might not forgive you if you deny them the bonding time," Leonard chuckled.

Penny rolled her eyes. "Well he'll be at Ariel's house, so it still counts."

"Do you think any of them will ever get together?"

His wife shrugged. "Who knows? I mean this is Amy we're talking about. The woman who got Sheldon Cooper to engage in _coitus_."

Leonard smirked, shaking his head. She had a point.

* * *

With Bernadette having had such late work hours during the week, Saturday morning quickly transformed from a late-rising day of relaxation, to a day of early-morning exercise in the park – or, at least, exercise for the microbiologist. While the blonde jogged around the small pond that offered its beautiful scenery to the park, Howard and the twins moved at a slower pace, walking and talking, waving to her when she passed by. Howard felt especially thankful for the kids in this moment, knowing without them, he'd be forced into jogging, too.

Ariel was gripping her father's left hand, swinging his arm aggressively, and kicking a stone along with her as they walked. Joel had put a bit more distance between himself and his sister and father, eyes focused on his mother across the pond.

"How come she has to run?" he asked, slowing down slightly in order to continue watching.

"She doesn't want to get fa – _aaaaaah_ – far behind!" Howard stammered, knowing a comment like that in the minds of their children would land him in a world of trouble later on. "Too far behind in her exercising because ... she wants to get big and strong. Yeah, that's a good reason to run."

"Really?" Joel asked. He sounded intrigued and his blue eyes sparkled slightly, lighting up with a controlled eagerness.

The engineer simply shrugged in response, wanting to get off the topic; it would be rather unfortunate if his children wanted to start jogging, too.

Luckily, his daughter had other plans in mind. "Daddy, can I go on your shoulders?" Ariel asked , pulling on his arm to propel herself upward, as though she'd have the momentum to actually reach his shoulders that way.

"Sure," he said, coming to halt. He crouched down slightly, positioning his hands under the little girl's arms. "Ready?"

"Yep!"

"Three, two, one, _blast off!_" The engineer made a whooshing noise with his mouth to sound like a rocket as he lifted his daughter. Ariel whooped enthusiastically.

"Permission to land, Houston?" she asked before her father had a chance to place her on his shoulders.

The former astronaut grinned. "Permission granted."

Ariel wrapped her arms around her fathers neck, hands linking together under his chin. She began looking around the park, as though it had drastically changed in the seconds it had taken her to reach Howard's shoulders.

"We've landed on a new planet, Houston," she said very seriously. "It has a pond, Houston."

Joel snorted condescendingly, rolling his eyes. "It's the same planet. You're just on Dad's shoulders."

"There's life here, Houston!" Ariel forged on. "It's very ugly!"

"Ariel," Howard said warningly.

The boy stuck his tongue out at his sister before shoving his hands in his pockets, looking annoyed.

"It has a tongue, Houston!"

"Do you want a turn next, Joel?" Howard asked, grinning.

"Houston, I just got up here!" Ariel complained.

"Joel can have a turn, too. I'm sure he'd also like to get some astronaut training in, right, buddy?"

But his son was distracted again, looking away from the two of them, and back behind to where Bernadette was jogging up the path. She smiled at the three of them as she passed before overtaking them again.

"Nah," Joel said before taking off after his mother at a sprint.

Howard frowned as the boy ran and caught up to his mother, apparently not phased or exhausted by such an exertion of energy.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the buzzing of his phone.

"We have an incoming call, Houston!" Ariel announced. "Maybe from an alien!" She reached down into his chest pocket, pulling the device out before he had a chance to. "Astronaut Ariel Bernadette Wolowitz here! Do you come in peace?"

The engineer sighed, half amused and half exasperated. Hopefully it wasn't anyone important calling.

"How do I know this is really Uncle Leonard and not an alien?" Ariel asked, her voice very ominous. "I see. Hang on. Houston, is it true that you once had a panic attack because you got your head stuck in a sweater?"

Howard rolled his eyes. "Gimme that," he grumbled, pulling the phone away while ignoring Ariel's protests that Houston couldn't simply take her phone while she was on another planet. "Hey, what's up?" he asked. "Other than you embarrassing me in front of my daughter." The engineer's eyebrows waggled as the experimental physicist put in his request, a mixture of amusement and mischief on his face. "Oh, craving some alone time with the missus, huh?"

"Something like that," Leonard agreed, though his voice was somewhat tentative. "So, can Chloe and Nathan spend the night at your place?"

"Sure," Howard said, his speech becoming muffled as Ariel replaced her hands under his chin. "I know Bernadette's looking to relax tonight, so the kids'll keep each occupied. Just so long as they don't get too loud ... otherwise _I'll_ have to keep them occupied."

His friend chuckled. "Thanks, Howard."

"No problem." The engineer hung up, replacing his phone in his pocket.

"Hey!" Ariel whined as her father removed her from his shoulders. "The mission wasn't done yet."

"My back says it is," Howard groaned, stretching to try and relieve the soreness that had been sinking in.

The girl pouted, jutting her lower lip out, and lowering her chin, her pigtails framing the sad expression.

"Don't make that face. Who makes that face when they're having a sleepover tonight?"

Ariel's lips instantly curled up into a grin. "A sleepover?"

"Yup. Chloe and Nathan."

The news sent Ariel running off, chasing after her brother and mother to tell them the news. Great. Now Howard had to run, too.

* * *

Leonard sat waiting on the bed, his hands clasped together, head turned to Penny's bedside table upon which rested two pregnancy tests, both turned over so the results could not be viewed. His wife was currently taking the third test in the bathroom, waiting to check on the first two so that all three results could be known at once.

The experimental physicist tapped his thumbs against each other, letting off the anxious energy. He hadn't thought he'd be here again, waiting on Penny with a pregnancy test. It was exciting, the idea that they might have another child on the way, even if it was a bit of a shock. But Chloe had also been a bit of a surprise.

They'd been married about a year, and had been in Nebraska to visit Penny's family over the holidays. At first the trip had gone quite well, Leonard making up for what he lacked in football passion and athletic ability, in his knowledge of science, something that his male relatives surprisingly found quite interesting to see in the form of small experiments. Even Penny's brother, out of rehab for the holidays, had taken a break from forming escape plans to watch Leonard. However, things had taken a sour turn when Penny had gotten sick on Christmas day, her condition not improving over the following days. It wasn't until the 28th of December that the couple had gone out and purchased a pregnancy test, picking up groceries as well to try and conceal their primary purpose in going out from the rest of the family.

Penny had taken the test and then the two had sat on the edge of the bathtub, awaiting the results. Leonard had had his arm around her, her head on his shoulder. They'd smiled at each other as the minutes ticked by, no fear in their eyes despite this not being planned, only love and eagerness. When the test was revealed to be positive, Penny had nearly knocked the two of them into the tub as she flung both arms around her husband, smashing her lips against his. Their first baby. It must have been a rather confusing sight for the rest of her parents to see their daughter still sick, but suddenly so perky.

Nathan they _had_ planned. Taking all the necessary steps, forgoing the protection, Penny going off the pill, scheduling sex. It was, of course, impossible to know which time Nathan had been conceived, although Leonard liked to believe it had happened in the shower. They'd opted for finding out on the couch that time, having decided that bathtubs were dangerous in those scenarios. The enthusiastic kissing that had followed the positive result hadn't lasted long, as it had woken Chloe from her nap. They'd definitely made a good decision in having the kids stay at Howard and Bernadette's tonight.

Penny exited the bathroom, clutching the test in her hand. She put it next to the other two and then sat beside her husband. Their bodies moved as they went into their usual position, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder. It was a peaceful moment between the two until Penny suddenly sat bolt upright and rushed from the bedroom.

Leonard blinked. He sat up slightly, his brow scrunching up in confusion. But before he could call out to his wife, she'd returned, a small, Ziploc bag in her hand.

Penny grinned at him before going to their closet. After some shoving aside of various appliances and towels, she pulled out a large cardboard box. Her memory box of him.

Setting the box on the bed, the blonde began riffling through it – much more gently than she had through the closet – until she found the objects she was looking for. Leonard couldn't help but let out a small, contented sigh as his wife removed the two plastic bags that contained the pregnancy tests that had announced Chloe and Nathan's existence. And now there might be a third to join them.

The couple returned to their previous position, Leonard kissing the top of Penny's head. They stayed like that for a few minutes, not speaking, just enjoying holding each other and the warmth the other provided.

A minute more passed before Penny sat up, sliding her arms up to sit around his neck. She looked at him, and then placed a kiss on his lips. "You ready?"

Leonard nodded. "Yeah."

Penny had placed the pregnancy tests in a way that separated the first one she'd taken from the other two, wanting the first to be the one to go in the memory box. Leonard grabbed the other two, while she picked up the first.

Tears pricked both their eyes as they each felt short of breath, gazing at the confirmation that it was happening. The first pregnancy test was quickly zipped up in the plastic bag, the memory box moved to the floor, so that Penny could jump forward, hooking her legs around Leonard's waist, his arms coming around her body as they fell onto the bed, beginning to engage in the post-positive-pregnancy-test tradition they'd started. The other two pregnancy tests were knocked from the bed and landed in the box, near the newly added object that they looked so similar to. Three positives. Nothing negative in sight.

**So, while Leonard and Penny are quite happy right now, not everything's gonna continue to be puppies and rainbows, or whatever fluffy combination you prefer. The angst will come. Howard and Bernadette, and Shamy's storylines will take a little bit longer to fully start, but I've been trying to lay little bits of foundation in each chapter they're in to prepare for when their plot lines really start happening.**


	4. The Sadness Evaporation

**Here's chapter four! This one's a bit shorter, but rather fluffy, so hopefully that makes up for it. :) Once again, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing; it's great to get your feedback.**

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing.**

Leonard and Penny continued kissing after it was over, arms melded around their warm bodies, neither of them interested in breaking the contact. Their kisses were small, but slow, lips hardly separating to begin the next one.

Eventually, Leonard moved his face away from hers, sliding it downward to bury it in the crook of her neck. Penny shuddered slightly as she felt him breath deeply, holding him tighter, and letting her own face sink into his hair.

Another baby. Another life that she and Leonard had made was growing inside of her. Penny let out a contented sigh when the tingle of fear that had shot through her stomach just days before at the thought of a third child didn't appear. She was happy. So, so happy. And in love. There'd been numerous times throughout their relationship that Penny didn't think she could love Leonard more, and each time they came together after receiving a positive pregnancy test was one of those times. Perhaps it was the combination of her love for the bespectacled experimental physicist and her new love for their child, but whatever the reasoning, the blonde was simply grateful to experience it.

"I love you," she sighed, breathing in the scent of his hair.

Her husband rolled back slightly so that his wife lay on top of him, and he could tilt his head back to look at her, his smile small but tender. "I love you, too." He kissed his pointer finger and then moved it under the sheets, letting it rest on Penny's stomach. "And I love you, number three."

Penny raised an eyebrow, tenderness quickly evaporating. "We are _not_ calling them 'number three'. It makes it sound like they're a science experiment or something."

"Well, I _am_ a scientist ..." Leonard chuckled when she slapped his chest.

"So, what should we call the baby?" Penny asked, sitting up.

The experimental physicist frowned. "We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet."

"Well, what would you rather: another boy or another girl?"

"It doesn't matter to me." He pulled the covers back in order to place a full kiss on Penny's stomach. "A boy or a girl, I'll love them no matter what."

Penny rolled her eyes. "Whimp."

"This coming from the girl who broke down in tears to my mother over her father wishing she was a boy?" Leonard asked, cocking his head.

The Nebraskan met his teasing stare for a moment before shaking her head. "Okay, fine, we'll do names later."

Leonard grinned. "So when do you want to tell the kids?"

Penny shrugged. "I guess we'll wait the usual three months Maybe a little earlier." Chloe had only been two when Penny had been pregnant with Nathan, so the little girl had learned of her brother when she'd noticed that her mother's stomach was becoming quite large. Now that the kids were older, they'd have to be told sooner. As for when to tell the rest of the group, the Nebraskan wasn't sure. They'd kept the first pregnancy a secret much longer, both enjoying the intimacy that came along with being the only two in the know. On the other hand, Penny had been pregnant with Nathan only a few weeks before the news of all the girls' pregnancies came erupting out. It was probably better to wait longer this time around, she decided, given how much of a surprise it had already been for her and Leonard. They'd let it sink in more before letting anyone else know.

"Hopefully they'll be okay with sharing a room once the baby comes," Leonard mused, hand latched onto hers and playing with it absentmindedly. "Maybe it would be better if we had another girl – Chloe's bedroom is bigger, and I don't think she would put up as much of a fuss about sharing."

"Ooh, look who's already picking favourites." Penny smirked when her husband rolled his eyes. "There's always the guest room downstairs, if they didn't want to share. I don't know how they'd feel about sleeping in the basement, though."

Leonard nodded. "We'd probably wake up with a third person in our bed every morning."

"Only if it's Nathan who moves downstairs."

The experimental physicist cocked his head. "You don't think Chloe would get scared down there?"

Penny shook her head. "Nah, she's got your personality, but she has my guts. And then it's the opposite with Nathan."

Leonard folded his arms across his chest, looking defensive. "Hey, I could've slept in the basement when I was his age."

"Yeah, but Nathan's never put on my makeup, made balloon boobies, and tried to smash his way out of the house, so I think your circumstances are a little different."

"I told you, they were _muscles_." His retort was mumbled and discontent.

"Hey, don't get sad now," Penny said, giving his arm a nudge. "New baby; we're happy." She quickly brushed her lips against his. "Plus, I really don't want to have to call your mother and inform her about the pregnancy just yet."

Leonard grimaced. It wasn't that his mother didn't love her grandchildren – she treated them more affectionately than she ever had him – but she was still Beverly Hofstadter, which meant a cold, clinical demeanour and an aggravating amount of analysis when it came to how each of her grandkids were progressing, and when it came to any one of her children expecting a child. The psychiatrist was definitely always the last person to be informed when a baby was on the way.

Announcing pregnancies to Penny's family was always a lot more fun. Wyatt would, of course, be ecstatic that he was getting another grandchild that wouldn't be growing up in a house with wheels, and it usually meant a lot of visits out to California for the rest of the family. When the Hofstadters visited Nebraska, Leonard always got thoroughly jostled and received many slaps on the back from his male in-laws, but while his sensitive skin sometimes bruised because of it, the experimental physicist couldn't complain about the treatment.

Leonard smiled at his wife. "You're right. We're happy."

"Good," Penny said, leaning over top of him. "And you know what would make me even happier?"

Her husband raised an eyebrow, half uncertain, half excited. "Really? Again?"

She shrugged. "It's still not very late; it's not even ten o'clock yet."

Leonard frowned at the meaning he took from her comment. "You're gonna make me sad again."

Penny rolled her eyes before cupping his face with her hands and covering his mouth with hers.

**Hope you all enjoyed that. :) And to offer up another hint about the mystery characters: two of them are scientists, one is not.**


	5. The Ice Cream Enticement

**Here's chapter five! This one includes all the couples, with emphasis on Leonard and Penny, and Shamy family. :) And, again, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

"Come on, ref! What kind of call is that?"

Eight pairs of eyes turned to watch the loud shouts streaming from the tiny microbiologist's mouth. She was standing up from the picnic blanket she and Howard had brought, fists clenched at her sides as she trained a menacing stare on the soccer field.

It was Joel and Nathan's final soccer game of the summer; Chloe, Ariel, and Ajay had all had games earlier in the day, and they'd now come to the fourth and final match.

"Okay, honey, how about you sit back down, huh?" Howard tempted, patting the blanket that he and Ariel were sat upon.

The group had clustered together on the side of the field, slightly separated from the rest of the spectating parents. Leonard and Penny were laying on their own blanket, the experimental physicist's hand resting on his wife's stomach. Chloe was seated next to them, dividing her attention between her brother's game and the book she was reading. Raj, Lucy, and Ajay were to the left of the Hofstadter's, simply sitting on the grass. Raj had his son – who was bouncing excitedly – held firmly in his lap, knowing that if he loosened his grip, the five year old would dart onto the field, desperate to join Joel and Nathan in their game. Lucy had been tasked with the easier job of holding Cinnamon, the ageing dog having no desire whatsoever to engage in any exercise.

It was probably the most sports the guys had watched in one day, though it was at least made more interesting when their own children were playing. And it didn't hurt to be able to say that someone with their genes could hold their own in soccer game.

Meanwhile, Howard had nearly gotten his wife to return to her spot when the opposing team scored a goal.

"How do you miss that?" Bernadette demanded, resuming her aggressive stance towards the field. "It was coming right at you!"

"Come on, Bernie, it's just a simple game," the engineer said, glancing over at the other parents tensely.

"Yeah, well for a simple game, you'd think some of these kids would be better at it." The microbiologist kept her eyes narrowed as her husband tugged her by the hand back down to the ground. "Joel's the only one who knows what he's doing out there."

"Um ..." Leonard said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, Nathan's doing fine, too!" Bernadette snapped. "He'd be doing a lot better if he had more ball control – that is _not _an appropriate joke to be laughing at in front of the kids!" She rounded on her husband as he started snickering.

The engineer broke off, mumbling something about _her_ being the one to lecture _him_ about being inappropriate while the children were around.

"What's the ball joke? I don't get it," Ariel prompted, always eager to hear new jokes, especially the ones her father found funny.

Howard waved a hand dismissively. "I'll tell you later – I mean _never_!" he amended when Bernadette glared daggers at him. "Never because it's not funny."

"But you laughed," Ariel pointed out.

"I was coughing."

"No you weren't -"

"Yeah, how 'bout we just watch the game, okay?" Howard said loudly, putting an arm around his wife and daughter, and leaning slightly in front of them as though that would prevent them from asking questions or snapping at him.

Penny smiled as she watched Nathan bounce from foot to foot, playing the very alert defenseman. She couldn't help but let her mind wander to thoughts of the new baby – if they would play soccer like Nathan and Chloe, if they'd enjoy reading as much as their sister did, maybe having her read to them sometimes. Whatever the case, for the first few years, they'd just be snuggled between her and Leonard. Penny gently nuzzled her head against Leonard's neck at the thought. He kissed her cheek.

"You guys look really sweet there," Lucy commented, giving them a shy but genuine smile.

The couple grinned back. They'd been in a bit of a honeymoon phase since the positive pregnancy test, earning themselves many lectures from Nathan on how visually disgusting kissing was, as well as reminders to his mother that he did not enjoy being kissed on the nose, especially in front of Joel or Marie. Chloe had had no complaints to offer up about their behaviour thus far, her parents being distracted by each other simply providing her with more opportunities to read at the breakfast table when they weren't looking.

"Go Joel and Nathan! Go Joel and Nathan!" Ajay cheered, causing the rest of the group to return their attention to the field.

As it turned out, the two boys were scuffling to win back the ball from the other team who were quickly advancing on their net. Joel was aggressively battling for the ball, prompting cries of encouragement from his mother. When the opposing player managed to get around him, it was up to Nathan. The boy darted towards the other player, preparing to kick the ball away; however, his foot narrowly missed the ball as he ran by, allowing the boy to get ahead and score another goal. Joel kicked at the grass in frustration.

The group groaned while Bernadette leaped back to her feet.

"Aw pipe down!" she shouted as the parents on the other team cheered. "It's not like he discovered a cure for cancer!"

"Bernie, they're just excited," Howard pointed out.

"Yeah, well they don't have to yell – what?" she asked when her friends and husband stared at her. The microbiologist's attention was quickly diverted as the boy who had scored the goal began running around the field in triumph. "Yeah, you enjoy that victory lap now! You won't be so happy when you get the award for bad sportsmanship!"

"_Okay_," Howard said, getting to his feet. "Sweetie, how about we take a quick walk. Blow off some steam, kick a tree, get away before those other parents start attacking us." The engineer nodded his head towards his daughter. "Make sure no one tries to kidnap her out of revenge while we're gone."

* * *

"And E equals mc ...?"

"Squared!" Marie responded eagerly, beaming as her father wrote the formula on his board.

Amy began writing another formula for her daughter. "And Fg equals ...?"

"Mg!" the little girl answered promptly.

"And g equals?" Sheldon asked, eyes gleaming just as eagerly as his daughter's.

"Gravity! Negative nine point eight meters per second squared!"

The theoretical physicist had to sit down. "Brilliant. Just brilliant. I've even got goosebumps, look." He held his arm out to his wife, grinning proudly.

Amy looked at her daughter with the same expression of pride and adoration, gripping her husband's arm. "Someone's definitely earned a well-deserved break."

"A good idea," said Sheldon, leaning back in his spot. "I'm going to need to get all my Sims relaxing on lawn chairs to recover from all this excitement."

The neurobiologist smiled before heading to the kitchen to make tea.

Marie climbed onto the couch to sit next to her father, happily gazing at the whiteboard full of equations. She liked the look of them all, each one containing clear instructions for problem solving. Knowing them was like obtaining a key to every locked door.

"Can we do one more?" she asked, bouncing in her seat slightly. She looked at her father expectantly.

Sheldon turned to stare at her, his expression suddenly shocked and stern, almost exaggeratedly so. "Violate schedule by learning another physics formula?" he asked, sounding astonished. "I think not."

Father and daughter stared at each other, both biting their lips and blue eyes glinting mischievously. They both held their mirrored positions for a moment before shouting in unison, "Bazinga!" The two then leaped from the couch and hurried back to the board.

Amy frowned as her phone buzzed, preventing her from accomplishing the task of filling the kettle with water. "You may want to postpone your learning session for a few hours," she commented after reading the text message. "Penny's just invited us on an outing."

Sheldon ceased in uncapping his red marker, looking annoyed. "To watch one of their soccer matches? Sitting on the bug-infested grass to view a sporting event that will go on for hours under the hot, summer sun? I think Penny overestimates my affection for her offspring."

The neurobiologist rolled her eyes at the comment. "The games are over; they're inviting us to go get ice cream with them."

Sheldon and Marie glanced at each other, the theoretical physicist trying to keep his intrigue from blatantly showing. "Well," he said tentatively. "It's not exactly convenient, but I suppose we could entertain them with our presence for a spell." Mother and daughter grinned at each other as Sheldon hurried for the door. "Dibs on the cleanest seat available there!" he called.

* * *

The four families were seated around two tables in the ice cream parlour, children eating happily away at their frozen treats, especially refreshing for Joel and Nathan who were still slightly red in the face from their game.

Ajay was sitting on his father's lap, a chocolate stain circling his lips. His eyebrows were knitted together as he frowned across the table. "How come Uncle Leonard doesn't never get ice cream?"

"That's wrong," Marie said before any of the adults at the table could answer.

The five year old looked upset. "No it's not! I hasn't ever seen him eat ice cream when we get it."

"'Doesn't never' is a double negative," the girl explained. "It doesn't make sense."

The boy stared helplessly at his parents, his desperate eyes demanding answers.

Howard leaned across the table so Ajay could see him better. "Leonard doesn't get ice cream because ..." the engineer broke off to blow a raspberry, causing the five year old to giggle.

The experimental physicist simply rolled his eyes as the group laughed at Howard's antics, Ariel joining in with the raspberry blowing. He certainly hoped the new baby wouldn't be lactose intolerant – but then again, maybe sympathy for the child would cause everyone to lay off the wisecracks.

"Joel and I could eat an ice cream for you, Dad," Nathan suggested, looking at his parents hopefully.

Penny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that sundae alone is more than enough junk food before dinner, Mister."

"In _Prisoner of Azkaban_ Florean Fortescue gives Harry free sundaes every hour while he writes his essay on witch burnings," Chloe informed her brother. For once he actually looked intrigued.

"We should get ice cream there," he said, face taking on a somewhat dreamy look.

"We can't. It's fictional," Marie corrected.

The dazed expression vanished from the boy's face, annoyance left in its place. "I _know_."

"It didn't sound like you did."

Penny stood up to intervene; Amy remained where she was, regarding the quarrelling children with a similar expression to the one Nathan had had at the thought of free hourly ice cream. Chloe attempted to help by contributing more _Harry Potter _facts to their argument.

The chaos continued around the table, with Ariel continuing to blow raspberries in her father's ear, trying to make him laugh (she hadn't quite mastered the skill of timing when it came to comedy). Bernadette smirked at her husband, informing him that it was his fault that she'd be doing that for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, Joel had reached his spoon across the table to try and steal some of Ajay's ice cream, causing the five year old to cry in protest. Sheldon looked like he was taking calming breaths, probably trying the technique of counting to ten that Leonard had taught him.

As the experimental physicist watched he couldn't help but wonder if he should be amused or frightened at the fact that soon a seventh child would be added to this mix.

**Given how competitive she gets, I figured Bernadette would be one of those loud mom's when it comes to their children's sports ("There's one in every family - two in mine, actually"). And to recap on the mystery characters front: two males, one female, two scientists, one's not, Zack is not one of the characters, and for today's hint: they all have brown hair. **


	6. The Alcohol Inclusion

**Here's chapter six. Once again, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! :)**

**Disclaimer: Still own nada.**

Nathan's forehead was scrunched up in concentration, tweezers held tightly in his hand, tongue poking out from between his teeth. He began to inch his hand forward, trying to ignore how it started shaking the minute he moved it.

"A doctor's supposed to have a steady hand, you know."

The boy's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, not about to ruin his chances at winning by getting upset. He inserted the small, metal tool, avoiding the sharp edges and grasping hold of one end of the malignant object. Carefully, he gave it a small tug.

"You're pulling on it too hard."

_Bzzt!_

Nathan threw the tweezers down in frustration as the _Operation_ game signalled the end and failure of his turn. He glared at Marie, who was sitting across the board from him. She had a smug smile on her face.

"Told you."

"It was _you _that made me miss!" he argued.

"A doctor shouldn't let anything distract him," Chloe pointed out, grinning as she nudged her brother so that she had space to take her turn. The two girls smirked at each other and then giggled. Nathan rolled his eyes and then stood up from the floor, walking away in a huff.

Marie shook her head at Chloe. "So childish," she whispered.

Nathan stomped away from 4A's kitchen island, moving into the living area where is parents and Amy were seated around the coffee table. He joined the women on the couch, climbing up beside his mother.

"You're in Daddy's spot," Marie called over, causing Chloe to bump the metal edges of the game with her tweezers. She wasn't as pleased with her friend this time around, looking frustrated.

Nathan shrugged. "So?"

Marie opened her mouth wide, about to launch into the all too familiar explanation of why Sheldon had designated the left side of the couch his spot. However, Penny jumped in before she could.

"Come on, sweetie, you should move. Or else Uncle Sheldon won't be happy when he gets back from the bathroom, and that's never fun."

Amy nodded. "Ain't that the truth." Her bestie smirked.

The boy sighed. "I still don't get what's so special about it. It's just a couch."

"Your Mom and I had our first kiss on that couch," Leonard offered, smiling.

His son stared forward, eyes wide for a moment before slowly sliding off the couch and then moving a safe distance away, regarding the furniture from afar.

Marie had the opposite reaction, beaming brightly as she skipped over to the sitting area and hopping onto her mother's lap. "Why'd you kiss?" she asked Penny, the topic of romance sending a thrill through the six year old.

Suspecting that the game was now over, Chloe followed, squeezing in next to her father on the arm chair.

Nathan frowned, raising an eyebrow at the Shamy's daughter. "Because they're married," he stated, seeming to think this was obvious.

Marie's smile vanished. "They weren't _always_ married!" she snapped, putting her hands on her hips as though daring him to argue.

"No, you're right, we weren't married yet," Penny agreed quickly, wanting to interfere before another argument struck up between the two.

The boy stared between his parents, looking confused.

"It was Halloween," the blonde explained. "I was feeling sad, so Leonard tried to make me feel better." She grinned at her husband. "And then I kissed him."

"Why were you sad?" Chloe asked.

"Oh ..." Penny said, beginning to get uncomfortable. Being really drunk and upset over her cheating boyfriend muscling Leonard around wasn't exactly the kind of story she wanted to share with her young children. "I ... uh ... spilled grape juice on my costume," she said lamely. Improv had never been her strong suit when it came to acting.

"Aw, and he let you kiss him anyway?" Marie gushed dreamily, viewing the dismissal of a lack of cleanliness for someone to be one of the ultimate acts of love. She was certainly Sheldon Cooper's daughter.

"That's not what happened."

The six looked towards the hall to see Sheldon observing them. He folded his arms across his chest as he walked down towards their small congregation. "Penny was upset because her ex-boy – "

"Ba ba ba!" the actress cut him off. "Innocence!"

"So, in order to protect their minds, we're supposed to lie to them?" Sheldon asked, bemused.

"It is _not _a lie," Penny said sternly, her teeth clenched.

The theoretical physicist seemed about to argue, but luckily for the Nebraskan in protective mother mode, Marie was more curious about a not-unrelated subject.

"When did you and Daddy have your first kiss?" she asked, looking at her mother eagerly.

Now it was Amy's turn to look uncomfortable. She was about to share the awkward glance with her husband, but he was already answering the question. "Your mother was drun-"

"_Driven to it_!" the neurobiologist interrupted. "By the overwhelming love I felt for him." She nodded her head a few times, seeming pleased with her correction. "We were on the couch in my old apartment. There was a monkey there. Yep."

Leonard and Penny frowned at each other, neither familiar with this Shamy story. But apparently both of their first kisses had involved alcohol interestingly enough.

"So ... you can kiss people before you know you want to marry them?" Nathan asked, face scrunched up in dubiousness, still stuck on the confusing revelation.

"Duh, you've seen Disney movies. The characters always kiss when they fall in love, and they're not married yet," said Marie.

"Marie, we don't say 'duh'," Sheldon chided his daughter.

"Oh, right." She nodded to her father and then turned back to Nathan. "_E-vi-dent-ly_," she amended, clearly sounding it out.

The theoretical physicist gave her shoulder a quick pat. "Atta girl."

"But the people that kiss always get married at the end," Nathan argued.

"Han and Leia don't get married at the end of _Return of the Jedi_," Chloe pointed out. "And they still kiss. More than once."

"But there was a war going on," said the boy. "You can't get married in the middle of a war. But they _wanted_ to."

"How do you know? Neither says they do in the movies."

"Yeah, it's not very _evident._"

"Honestly, how is it that your seven year old doesn't understand this concept?" Sheldon asked, perplexed.

Deciding against the retort of "Look who's talking", Penny reached her arms out to pull Nathan towards her. "Because," she said, leaning forward to hug him against her chest. "He is my baby boy and I will always be the most important woman in his life," she explained, her voice becoming somewhat muffled as she puckered her lips in order to kiss her son's face before he could squirm away, moaning in protest at the public display of affection.

"Well ...," Amy said, grinning as she glanced towards her daughter.

"Not now, Ames," Penny said.

The theoretical physicist simply rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, hopefully when Leonard's mother gets here, she'll be able to fill your children's heads with a little more knowledge."

"Your mother's coming?" Penny asked, at the same time as Chloe and Nathan asked, "Grandma's coming?"

Leonard was just as shocked as the rest of them, not having received any word from his mother about plans to visit.

Unlike his former roommate, however, Sheldon was unphased. "She's coming this weekend," he replied, nodding his head.

"That can't be right," the bespectacled physicist said, digging out his phone. "She always emails me at least a week in advance now to let me know she's coming – oh." His expression changed, face falling rapidly.

"What?" Penny asked, frowning.

"I forgot I made it so that all emails from her went to my spam folder," he explained, almost cringing at his mistake. "Yep, there it is." Leonard looked up at his wife and tried to sound enthusiastic, but his voice sounded more monotone than anything else. "My mother's coming to visit."

Sheldon raised his hands in the air. "Whoo hoo!"

**Just a note that the angst will be beginning in the next chapter; I'll put more of a warning when I post it next Friday, but figured I'd just mention it now, too. And on the mystery character front: two men, one woman, two scientists, one's not, they all have brown hair, none of them are Zack. New hint: one of them wears glasses. **


	7. The Shocking Information Ramifications

**This is the chapter that kickstarts the angst. Just a WARNING, that this chapter deals with issues of advanced maternal age, and the fic will be dealing with both physical and emotional pain that can cause.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **

"Hello, mother," Leonard said, opening the door so the psychiatrist could step inside. "It's nice to see you."

Beverly gave him a short nod. "Hello, son," she said, giving his back a small pat when he moved in to hug her.

She quickly moved on to her grandchildren who were standing in front of their mother, hair combed neatly, and dressed in a way that Penny hoped looked "smart". She and her mother-in-law were on good terms, of course – better than Leonard was – but that didn't stop the blonde from indulging the slight twinge of worry she'd get over having the older woman's approval, especially when it came to her babies.

Chloe was wearing a grey skirt and light blue cardigan, while Nathan was in a navy blue sweater and beige khaki pants – it had been quite a struggle forcing him out of his red Superman T-shirt that morning, having to threaten him with a loss of video games if he didn't cooperate. It was a shame neither of the kids wore glasses – if that trick had worked on Leonard, then it stood to reason that it might get Beverly, too ... although given what Penny used those glasses for, perhaps it was better that she didn't give them an association with her mother-in-law.

"Chloe. Nathan. How are you?" Beverly asked, her voice as monotone as it usually was, but the hint of a smile on her face.

"Good," the children said in unison, each extending a hug to their grandmother.

The psychiatrist surveyed the boy and girl before turning to her son, nearly smirking. "I think they're going to be taller than you, Leonard," she commented.

"Great," Penny said, stepping around the kids to give her own hug. "I'll never get to wear tall shoes again." She stuck her tongue out at her husband over her mother-in-law's shoulder when he rolled his eyes at her.

"Would you like some tea, mother?" Leonard asked, as the family began making their way upstairs to the kitchen.

"I would enjoy some tea, though, based on experience, not the kind you'll be able to make me," she replied, seating herself at the kitchen table.

Leonard nodded his head a few times, and Penny could practically see the different emotions flickering across his face before he captured a calm one. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, overly cheerful.

"So, children, when does school start?" Beverly asked, eyes peering behind her glasses expectantly.

"In a week," Chloe said, followed by a depressed sigh from Nathan.

The psychiatrist raised an eyebrow. "I sense a lack of enthusiasm from your son," she observed, addressing Penny. "Is he not academically inclined?"

"No, no, he is!" the blonde said quickly, putting her hands on Nathan's shoulders. "He loves school, don't you, honey? It's just sad when the summer ends."

The boy shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. It's fun once I get there; I hate getting up early, though."

"Like mother, like son!" Leonard called over his shoulder. It was Penny's turn to roll her eyes.

"What about you, dear?" Beverly asked Chloe.

The girl smiled. "I'm excited," she said. "I hope we get to read bigger books this year."

"Perhaps no bigger in size, but the textbooks you'll be introduced to should satiate your desire for grander knowledge, given your age."

Chloe blinked. "Oh. Sure. Textbooks." Her mother had to hide her smirk; like mother like daughter, too.

Leonard approached the table with Beverly's tea, tensely assuring her that he'd made it according to her usual specifications. It was almost sad, the amount of relief it caused him when his mother tested her beverage and deemed it warm enough.

"So your marriage is good?" Beverly asked, staring at the couple over the rim of her cup. Leonard and Penny barely had time to smile at each other before the psychiatrist was forging on. "No infidelity? Penny hasn't been left responsible for her own orgasms?"

"_Okay!_" Penny exclaimed, awkwardly waving her hands at the kids. "Chloe, Nathan, go downstairs and play! Now!" Her voice grew very high pitched as she gave her orders, thankfully causing no argument from the children as they vacated the table.

"No, mother, our marriage is going very well," Leonard replied, though it probably sounded as though he was lying given how his jaw was clenched.

"That's nice to hear," she said, seemingly unphased by the tension she'd caused the two parents in front of their offspring. "Given the adulterous ... I believe the correct term is 'tool bag' nowadays, your father turned out to be, I thought it appropriate to ensure that you weren't treating this young woman poorly, Leonard."

"No, no," Penny said, an odd expression contorting her face; she was still partly shocked by Beverly's inquiring, but also rather flattered at her motives behind it. "He treats me very well." She touched her husband's arm lightly. And he certainly hadn't made her responsible for her own orgasms given the baby inside her belly. But Beverly wouldn't be privy to that news for a long time, if the Nebraskan had anything to do about it.

"What are you doing?! Don't take your pants off!"

Penny and Leonard's eyes widened as their daughter's voice echoed through the house. Beverly turned her head towards the basement stairs, looking intrigued.

"They're itchy!" Nathan protested. "And no one can see me!"

"_I _can see you!"

The couple cringed in unison, nervous to look at the psychiatrist's expression.

"Fascinating," Beverly said, pausing to sip from her tea. She trained her gaze on Penny. "Chloe must get this aversion to nudity from you, dear, seeing as Leonard spent a good deal of his childhood clutching his genitals despite the discomfort of his siblings." Her son slapped his face into his palm. "Therefore, Nathan must be taking after his father in that regard, though perhaps in a less extreme fashion if he didn't remove his undergarments. Hmm."

Beverly rose from her seat, looking pensive. She crossed the hall and then began making her way down the stairs to inspect the situation. Leonard groaned.

* * *

"There she is! Say hi to Auntie Priya, Ajay!"

The little boy began waving both his hands at the computer screen where his father's sister had just appeared.

She smiled at her nephew. "Hi, Ajay. You're getting so big!"

Ajay puffed his chest out proudly. "Yes, I am," he said.

The woman surveyed the scene of father and son on the couch in front of the laptop, the five year old bouncing on her brother's knees. "Where's your mother?" she asked.

"Groceries," Ajay said, swinging his legs absentmindedly.

Priya raised an eyebrow. "Rajesh, you're actually allowing your fiance to buy the groceries herself? I wouldn't have thought it possible from a perfectionist chef like you."

The astrophysicist smirked. "She's just getting more dog food for Cinnamon and refilling my little princess's medication." He began tickling his son's stomach, eliciting a squeal from the child. "My little prince just thinks every errand Mommy and Daddy run is called 'groceries'!"

"Well you're little prince might have another royal child to play with soon," the lawyer commented, purposely arching her brows to add to her brother's intrigue.

"Huh?" Ajay asked, not comprehending his aunt's meaning.

"Ajay, why don't you go see if Cinnamon wants to play?" Raj suggested, casting his sister a questioning glance.

The five year old stared at his father. "She never plays anymore."

"There's a first time for everything, now go on."

The boy sighed, but marched off all the same, heading for his bedroom down the hall.

"Are you pregnant!" Raj hissed, despite his son's exit from earshot.

Priya rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. I was referring to our youngest sister."

The astrophysicist blinked. "Really? I didn't know she was seeing anyone."

His sister laughed. "No one did, until she announced the pregnancy."

Raj nodded a few times, processing the information. "How are Mummy and Daddy taking it?"

"Rather well. It's not as though she moved to America, got a girl pregnant, and then proposed to her." Raj did not return her teasing grin.

"Well, at least I have love in my life," he retorted, straightening up. "Last time I checked Sanjay still wasn't rushing to get down on one knee for you."

The siblings mirrored the death glares they shot at each other, neither breaking it – Raj mainly because he didn't have another comeback after that one. But apparently his sister did.

"Yes, well while you claim to have love in your life, your never-ending engagement seems to indicate trouble in paradise."

"There's no trouble!" he protested, voice going high. "Weddings are expensive, and we've been busy with Ajay!"

"Really, it takes five years to save up for a wedding?" Raj was beginning to despise the way she kept raising her eyebrows again, like he had when he was a child.

"It does when your parents cut you off because your girlfriend isn't Indian," he grumbled.

"_And_ you have a spending problem," Priya said pointedly.

"I don't have a problem with spending! I just have a problem with _not_ spending!"

The lawyer simply shrugged. "You should have waited to tell our parents about Lucy until after Samir crashed Papi's Bentley; they wouldn't have cared at all, and then you'd be able to afford your precious fairytale wedding."

Raj straightened up indignantly, glaring at his sister. "For your information, I am perfectly capable of saving enough money to have my dream wedding with the woman I love, and on a completely unrelated note, if you have any ideas about how to get me and my family back into our parents' good books, please email them to me!" With that, he shut the laptop.

* * *

Tea went a little more smoothly with Beverly after Leonard had set the kids up with a game of Jenga, causing the two to be rather silent as they cautiously took their turns, leaving them too preoccupied to produce anymore embarrassing disruptions. Even when the psychiatrist inquired about Penny's job, nothing too painful occurred – although conversations about the blonde's occupation had become much easier since she was no longer "trapped in a menial service position". It was nice to be able to inform people that she was in a stable, relatively well-paying job that she enjoyed.

Leonard quickly checked his watch once his mother had vacated the kitchen after announcing she had to urinate. "She'll probably head back to her hotel soon," he said, his voice almost a sigh in his relief over his mother's imminent departure.

Penny nudged his shoulder with her own. "Oh, come on, it hasn't been that bad."

Her husband frowned. "Easy for you to say; she's not _my_ home girl." The experimental physicist shifted uncomfortably after the sentence left his mouth, his wife raising her eyebrows at him not helping.

"Would you _want_ her to be?" Penny asked pointedly.

Leonard made a face. "Nope, you're right. This visit has been just swell."

And as she smirked at his response, the actress was in agreement with Leonard's assessment ... that was until Beverly came striding back down the hall from the bathroom, the box of opened pregnancy tests clutched in her hand.

Penny became rigid in her seat, part of her wanting to launch herself from the table and snatch the incriminating object away from her mother-in-law, hiding it from sight to be forgotten about, much like she'd done with what Sheldon had thought to be a battery-operated chew toy. The more dominant half, however, was frozen, mind unable to fully process what was occurring or what the consequences of this new development would be, only able to acknowledge that something very unpleasant was about to happen.

The psychiatrist returned to her seat, placing the box on the table, causing all eyes to train on it. She stayed silent as she looked at it behind the frames of her glasses, hands clasped.

"That's um ... that ...," Penny stuttered, her tongue feeling like a heavy weight suppressing her words.

"I'm aware of what it is, I'm simply pondering the implications," Beverly said, not removing her eyes from the object.

Leonard and Penny glanced at each other, neither sure of how to fix the helplessness they saw in the other's eyes.

"It either implies a planned attempt at conception which either resulted in a pregnancy or failed. That, or a pregnancy scare, again, subject to the same two possible outcomes. However, the only concrete conclusion that can be made is that the box has been opened and is missing three tests, meaning that the two of you are privy to the results." The psychiatrist lowered her chin slightly, looking between the couple expectantly.

"Um," Leonard said, shifting in his seat. "Well, mother ..." He looked to Penny and then slipped his arm around her shoulders, the action seeming to bring him more confidence. "We're having another baby." They both chanced a small smile.

Beverly did not return the expression. "I see," she said. She surveyed the two with a piercing stare; that wiped the smiles clean off their faces. Leonard's hold tightened on Penny's shoulder to the point that it was painful, making the blonde realize that the action wasn't coming from a place of comfort, but a place of fear. "You realize you're almost fifty, Leonard?"

The experimental physicist mouthed silently for an unpleasant moment, and Penny didn't think he'd be able to respond, but he eventually found his words. "Five years away," he pointed out quietly.

"True, but, assuming the child will be born around the spring, then you'll turn forty-six shortly after it arrives, making you fifty by the time they're four years old."

Leonard had no words for that.

"And given that Penny is over thirty-five, I assume both of you are aware of the risks of advanced maternal age?"

"Advanced maternal age?" Penny asked, beginning to feel very scared.

"Yes, the increased risk for fetal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome due to the the mother's older age. Expectant mothers are considered high-risk and must be monitored closely in order to detect defects in the developing child, allowing the pregnancy to be terminated if the parents so choose."

Penny stared, feeling her face grow hot, a powerful, tingling sensation running up her arms and legs, causing them to shake. Advanced maternal age. Fetal abnormalities. Pregnancy to be terminated. Due to the mother's older age. Almost fifty. And all coming from such a matter-of-fact, cold, clinical voice ...

Penny used one of Lucy's old tactics. "I have to go to the bathroom," she said, already out of her chair by the time she got the whole sentence out. She felt Leonard's hand reach for her arm, but she sped up, missing him by inches.

She locked the door behind her when she reached the bathroom, turned on the fan, the sink and shower on full blast, everything that could mask the sound of her bursting into tears.

**So there you have it. The angst begins. On a lighter note, Nicole guessed the mystery characters: Kripke and Leslie had a fling and had a child, and now Leslie and Stuart are in a relationship. So Nicole wins! Yay Nicole! But everyone's a winner here. Why don't you all check your pockets? Yeah, no gold coin there (you'd be creeped out if there actually was one there :P). Anyway, Nicole wins a ... I don't know, a fic or something if she wants. **


	8. The Acting Comparison

**Here's chapter eight. This one's a bit shorter, and, unfortunately, doesn't really have fluffiness to compensate for that, but things have to get worse before they can get better. Again, WARNING: for issues of advanced maternal age both physical and emotional.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

If Beverly noticed the redness and puffiness of Penny's eyes when she finally returned from the bathroom, she didn't let on that she had. While it was possible the psychiatrist saw the clear indicators that her daughter-in-law had been crying, and simply didn't care, Penny was just grateful at her not bringing it up, whatever the reason for it. Other than that, though, she couldn't seem to feel anything at all.

She moved and spoke as she should when she returned to the table, avoiding Leonard's concerned gaze, but she didn't feel in control of these movements. She felt disconnected from herself, a buzzing in her head where her petrified thoughts had ravaged only short moments ago in the bathroom. It was like a power outage had occurred and a back up generator was fueling her body, allowing her to continue going through the conventional motions of conversation. Meanwhile, she herself, Penny, a woman, a wife, a mother was shut down, numb, incapable of thought, detached from herself and all lives that touched her.

It was in this state that she followed mother and son downstairs to the front door when Beverly announced that she should be going; it was like this that the corners of her mouth slowly turned up into a smile as her children clambered up from the basement to say goodbye to their grandmother; it was in this way that she somehow managed to cheerfully thank Beverly for stopping by, unable to even think on or feel the turmoil this visit had caused.

Penny made her way back upstairs when the psychiatrist had gone, vaguely noting that Leonard was returning with Chloe and Nathan to the basement, suggesting they watch a movie.

The blonde wasn't exactly sure how long she'd been in her bedroom when she finally realized that she was sitting stiffly on the bed. This awareness hardly mattered, though, because she couldn't cry again yet; she was still frozen, waiting to thaw. Or shatter.

It happened when Leonard finally entered the room, closing the door soundlessly behind him – or maybe it did make a sound, and Penny simply didn't process it. He stood for a long time, arms rigid by his sides, brown eyes poring into her, analyzing her state.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked. She shattered with a sob.

His arms came around her, and her face burrowed deep into the crook of his neck, wetting it with tears. Penny was painfully reminded of how, not long ago, they were holding each other similarly as they eagerly awaited the results of the pregnancy tests, then so excited at the prospect of another child. Or how Leonard had held her as he comforted her about the possibility of a new baby, talking away all her fears. How stupid she felt now. Stupid that she'd allowed herself to be lulled into a state of anticipation and security, when really her immediate doubts and worries had been right all along, and were not, apparently, even the tip of the iceberg.

"God, Leonard, what are we going to do?" she said, her voice thick.

"I – I'm sure it'll be okay," he said, but his tone had never been more uncertain.

Penny pulled away from him, angered by his answer. She didn't want consolation right now, didn't want to be told pleasant lies that would just lead her on to another horrific revelation like the one she'd just had. "I'm at high risk, Leonard," she said darkly. "Because of my age, there's a greater chance that the baby will be sick or hurt, and there's nothing I can do about it!" Her voice was bordering on shouting.

Leonard sighed. "I know, but, honey, there's still a chance that none of that will happen. There's a greater potential for risks, but the baby could still end up perfectly healthy. Women your age and older can deliver healthy babies. When we see the doctor for our first appointment in a few days, I'm sure she'll say the same thing."

"Well what if I'm in the percent that gets affected by those risks?" Penny demanded. "The odds have never exactly been in my favour."

Her husband leaned away slightly, looking stung. "What does that mean?" he asked, frowning.

"You said it yourself," she said. "The odds of my becoming a movie star were a million to one. Didn't work out for me then, so why should it now?"

"This is a little different."

"How?" she asked, voice becoming more cynical with every word. "I wasn't good enough to be an actress, and now I'm not good enough for this baby."

"Penny, you are a wonderful mother, the fact that you're older doesn't change that!" Leonard protested, becoming scared of how she was transitioning in her reactions.

"It means my body isn't good enough. Thanks to me, this baby might have Down's syndrome, or be more likely to miscarry, or – or whatever the hell else your mother said!" she exclaimed, more tears leaking out as her pitch went higher again. Penny lay back on the bed, trying to hide her face in the pillows.

Leonard watched her for a moment before laying next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He bit his lip, glad when she didn't pull away, but wondering if he should forge on with the discussion. It was possible she would shut him out if he tried to ask her later, so perhaps it was better just to continue while he still could. "You – you wouldn't want to ... terminate if -"

"_No_," she said. She didn't elaborate, or turn to face him, so Leonard decided to stop there, rubbing his thumb against her shoulder.

He tried to keep his sighs from being audible so he wouldn't disturb Penny, but it was hard. He'd known that there were more risks involved with pregnancies the older a woman became, but he hadn't really given them much thought. He certainly hadn't known as much as his mother, not realizing how many dangers were automatically posed.

He wanted to not think about it, to simply focus on how to make Penny more comfortable and optimistic about the whole situation, but that was hard to do when the words _You realize you're almost fifty, Leonard_ were the background music to his thoughts.

**We'll be getting back to Shamy and Howard and Bernadette soon (like chapter ten), it's only that their storylines start a bit later in comparison to the others. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this, or, if it made you sad, it at least has held your interest. Lemme know in the reviews, if you want to! :)**


	9. The Fridge Discontinuation

**Here's chapter nine! I'd like to thank 5Mississippi's for the additional medical information she provided me with regarding advanced maternal age and hospital procedure; it's much appreciated. :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Leonard and Penny dropped Chloe and Nathan off at Raj and Lucy's before heading for their main destination: the doctor's office. It would be their first appointment of the pregnancy, one that had originally been host to pleasant thoughts of first ultrasounds and due date determinations, but had since been replaced with intimidating statistics and potential defects.

They didn't have long to wait once they reached the office, Penny being only one of three expectant mothers waiting to be seen.

"Penny, Leonard, it's good to see you both again." Dr. Linda Chan extended her hand to each of them along with a warm smile when they were called in. She was a thin, middle-aged Asian woman, her long, black hair tied back in a ponytail.

The obstetrician's office was a setting the couple had grown familiar with over the years, but one that Penny had never felt more tense in before. Every object in the room from the examination table to the the unassuming laptop that rested on the doctor's desk were suddenly ominous to the blonde, all potentially capable of recording a problem with her or the baby, of tearing her heart and world apart.

"So, lucky number three, huh?" Linda commented, grinning at them as she picked up her clipboard. Penny found it hard to return the smile, not sure how the baby inside of her could be considered lucky in this situation.

Dr. Chan already knew most of Penny and Leonard's family and health history from when she'd worked with them through pregnancies in the past, meaning she only had to quickly inquire about Penny's cycle before reaching the moment the expectant mother had been dreading.

"Now, you might already be aware of this, but given that you are now over the age of thirty-five, Penny, that means you have advanced maternal age," Linda informed them. Penny gave a slight nod, squeezing her hands tightly together. Leonard leaned his arm against hers, knowing his wife didn't want to appear too frightened or unprepared, but still wanting to comfort her somehow.

"Here that means you are considered a high risk pregnancy. Given that you're quite healthy, overall, this won't change how we normally conduct your appointments. We'll monitor your development more closely through blood tests and urinanalysis, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary unless a serious medical change occurs.

"What about the baby?" Penny asked; the words came tumbling out so fast, Linda had hardly finished speaking. She knew the answer – it had been ringing through her head since she'd seen her mother-in-law, twisting at her insides, tensing up her body as she lay on her bed, incapable of sleep – but the part of her that still had the nerve to hope just had to ask, even though Penny knew that tiny, persevering flame was about to be extinguished.

There was a hint of sympathy behind Linda's ever-amiable smile, telling Penny that the doctor had caught on to her fear. And she was supposed to be a good actress now. "There are more risks associated with your pregnancy and the baby now, it's true," she explained. "Chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome are now more likely to occur, which is why we take more precautions and run more tests, so we can all be better prepared for what might come. That being said, many women your age and even older still deliver perfectly healthy babies without any complications. And as I mentioned, you're already very healthy, which is always a good factor to have on your side."

Leonard nudged Penny's arm with his, almost in an "I told you so" way, but she didn't look at her husband, intense gaze still focused on the doctor. She'd heard this before already. It was a comforting tactic, what all doctors were supposed to do with their patients. What a husband was supposed to do for their wife. Beverly had given her the harsh reality of the situation, and though it terrified Penny, it would also prepare her better than kind words would. She would not be succumbing to the side of optimism again until she was certain it was safe to return.

Dr. Chan continued when Penny said nothing. "There are many different options available for parents in this situation," she said. "We usually recommend what's referred to as the sequential screening. That means that you would first go through the first trimester combined screening. This involves the regular nuchal fold scan you would've had during your previous pregnancies, and an additional blood test. These will help us further determine the baby's likelihood for having chromosome abnormalities. Parents who choose this option usually either follow up with a second screening in the second trimester – which allows us to incorporate all of your test results and give you the most accurate assessment – or discontinue with screenings depending on their results. However, some will opt for the more invasive, diagnostic tests. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling have an almost a hundred percent detection rate for birth defects and abnormalities, but they also have a small risk of miscarriage."

Penny nodded her head a few times, but she was finding it difficult to blink. She was not a fan of all these statistics being thrown at her; no matter how high or small the percentage, nothing was really certain; everything remained a possibility. It had been that way with her first two pregnancies, of course, but being on the low percent side for all risks didn't cause much trepidation or second guessing of possibilities. She'd hardly even thought about the NT scans when she'd had them before, oblivious to the many problems that could occur, but also young enough to be allowed this innocent ignorance.

"What's the detection rate for the first trimester screening?" Leonard asked, his voice managing to make Penny blink finally.

"In conjunction with the second trimester screening, the accuracy is still very high," Linda replied. "If you're interested in the first trimester screening or the chorionic villus sampling, they're conducted between eleven and thirteen weeks into gestation."

Leonard looked at Penny. "What do you think?"

A lot of things, but it was probably inappropriate to scream and cry and fall on the floor because she was so confused – and all when she'd been looking forward to this doctor visit just a few days earlier.

So she remained composed. "Um, the first trimester screening, I guess," she replied, clearing her throat when her voice came out slightly dull and rough. "That one won't hurt the baby, right?"

Linda smiled gently and nodded. "Not at all."

"Okay."

* * *

"So we still have a couple hours before we have to pick up the kids," Leonard commented as they drove home. "Gives us a bit more alone time together. That's kind of nice, right?"

Penny simply nodded, keeping her attention focused on the picture she held tightly in her hands. It was the picture from the ultrasound she'd had, their baby hardly bigger than a grape. That tiny little someone was growing inside of her, under her protection until they were strong enough to come into the world. And yet she might have already put them at a disadvantage, making their development a struggle. The worst part was that it was now out of her control. If there was something wrong, Penny could do nothing to fix it.

Next to her, Leonard bit his lip as he took in his wife's unsettling silence. He had hoped that the doctor reaffirming the odds of a healthy baby would comfort Penny, but apparently not. Truth be told, it hadn't alleviated his own worries either, but he was coping better than she was.

"Honey, it's going to be okay. Once we get the tests done, I'm sure the results will show that everything is fine."

Penny let out a sigh, one that she knew sounded annoyed, but she couldn't help it. Usually she craved Leonard's support in situations like this, needed him on her side to make her feel better about her choices. But this time was different. It felt like weakness to let him comfort her, that it would make her lazy, and only distract her from focusing on the reality of the problem.

"Yeah," she agreed dully, hoping a verbal response would satisfy him, even though she knew it wouldn't.

Leonard didn't want to stop the conversation there, but Penny had never been a fan of his pushing an issue, especially when it was one this sensitive.

It was a relief to pull into the driveway, ending the horrible silence of the car ride. It wouldn't improve once they got in the house, but at least there was more in there to distract the experimental physicist with, and hopefully Penny, too.

As they entered through the front door, Leonard watched as his wife made her way up the stairs. He expected her to go to the fridge first, to put up the ultrasound picture like she always did. Instead, however, she pulled a right, disappearing down the hallway, no doubt heading to their bedroom. He stood for a moment after she'd gone, staring at the refrigerator that suddenly looked very bare, before descending into the basement. He turned on the Wii and inserted the hardly-used _Wii Fit_ game.

**Next chapter we'll see the Wolowitz's and Shamy, so a tiny bit of respite from the angst. Review if you feel so inclined! :)**


	10. The Spooning Addition

**Here's chapter ten. This one gets Shamy's storyline started, and also includes some more of the Wolowitz family. I did a bit of research on Polytechnic School, but apologies if you're familiar with it and a few facts aren't up to date or incorrect.**

**Disclaimer: Still own squat.**

"Okay, coast is clear, no sign of any Germans. Now keep true." The engineer spoke in a low voice, body tense, and eyes alert for any signs of enemy movement. Beside him, his son held a similar posture, black eyebrows narrowed, and his tongue between his teeth.

"What does keep true mean again?"

The boys' dark demeanour dissolved with the sound of Ariel's voice.

The little girl was seated on the left side of the couch, clad in light blue pyjamas, fuzzy slippers, and her hair done up in her usual pigtails. Her father and brother were next to her, also still in pyjamas, and video game controllers in hand.

Joel rolled his eyes. "It means keep going in the same direction."

His twin sister looked unimpressed. "Why?"

"Because the coast is clear!"

"Alright, alright, let's just keep playing," Howard intervened, sensing that his son was growing more agitated. He wasn't in the mood to break up another serious argument between the two siblings; it was far too early in the morning for that.

Two virtual soldiers who were crawling through the tall grass on a dreary stretch of farmland began inching forwards as the two Wolowitz boys' fingers commanded. They were nearing an abandoned shed with the roof blown off when a shot was fired, causing Joel's half of the screen to flash red.

"No, I'm hit!" Joel cried in frustration.

"Because you didn't keep true!" Ariel said in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up!"

"Joel!" Howard said sharply.

"She made me mess up!" the boy protested, frantically twiddling his fingers against the controller so that his soldier stood up to run.

"Did not! You didn't keep true!" Ariel said, leaping to her feet. She put her hands on her hips. Howard tried not to let the fact that his seven year old daughter was nearly taller than him when she stood like that bother him.

"Come on, sweetie, sit back down," he sighed.

"Not until he apologizes," she argued. The little girl cleared her throat before doing quite a good impression of Lucy from _A Charlie Brown Christmas_. "I know when I've been insulted! I know when I've been insulted!"

"Dad, check it out," Joel said, raising his volume to overpower the sounds of his sister's impersonations. "I'm gonna use a _diversionary tactic._" The boy pressed a button on his controller, eliciting the sound of a gunshot, quickly followed by the unpleasant whimper of a dog.

Ariel stopped with her quoting and stared at the television screen, eyes wide. "Did you just shoot a dog?" she gasped.

Her brother gave a crooked grin, making him look very smug. "Yeah, now the Germans are distracted."

"But you _killed_ it!"

"So?"

"_You killed a dog!_"

"Who cares?"

"Dad!"

Howard leaned back in his chair, groaning. Looks like he'd be playing referee after all. It was a shame Bernadette wasn't up yet; while the microbiologist had been dedicating Saturday mornings to exercising, Sundays remained a day of rest. Not that Howard was complaining about this choice overall, but his wife really was the best at breaking up fights.

"What's going on?"

_Yes!_ Howard did an internal fist pump when the microbiologist came down the hall, eyebrows arched as she took in the scene of her children quarrelling.

"_Hey!_" she said sharply, immediately silencing the twins. They stared at their mother, eyes wide. "Do we have a problem here?" They shook their heads, Ariel sitting back down. Bernadette nodded a few times, letting the lack of raised voices sink in before she was satisfied. "Good."

Becoming more relaxed, she walked up behind the couch, left hand slipping her husband's hair into her fingers, the other resting on his shoulder so she could lean down and kiss the side of his face.

"Morning," she said, her voice much more pleasant now. "What's on TV?"

"Oh, uh -" Howard began, but his son interrupted.

"We're playing _Call of Duty_," Joel informed her, attention returning to the screen.

The engineer tensed as his wife's hold on him tightened painfully, his hair being pulled uncomfortably far away from his head.

"Howard, that game's rated T!" Bernadette said. "I told you I didn't want the kids playing that!"

Damn. Maybe it would have been better if she'd stayed in bed.

"You know what? How about I get breakfast started, huh? Sweetheart? Love of my life?" Howard suggested, getting hurriedly to his feet. He nearly tripped on his bathrobe in his haste. "What do you want? Eggs? Pancakes? English muffins? How about I just make the works, and you can burn all the _Call of Duty_ games!"

"What? No!" Joel protested.

Howard sighed. "Don't worry, I was kidding."

"Howard!"

"Breakfast! On it!" And with that he fled the living room.

But of course she followed him.

"Howie, you know I don't like you letting the kids get away with things behind my back," Bernadette said, leaning against the kitchen counter as her husband hurriedly began pulling frying pans and bowls out from the cupboards.

"I know, I know," he sighed. "It won't happen again."

The microbiologist wasn't convinced. "Really? Because it seems like all you ever care about is being their pal."

"I'm not trying to be their pal; it's just that as their dad, I want them to look up to me," the engineer said honestly. And he wasn't very impressive at much else than video games. Plus you couldn't bring kids up to space. Thankfully.

"Well can you find a way to do that where you and I are both on the same page?" his wife asked pointedly. "Otherwise, I always end up being the bad guy." She narrowed her eyes. "And if that keeps happening, then you and I aren't going to be such great pals anymore."

Howard gave an exaggerated gasp. "Are you asking me to choose between my kids and my wife because – _I choose you!_ Yup, every time!" he finished when her stern gaze didn't' diminish in the face of his humour. Sunday morning would not be a time of rest after all.

* * *

"I've been thinking," Sheldon informed his wife as he began untucking their bed, preparing for his usual nine hours of sleep.

"I'd be shocked if you stopped," Amy quipped, grinning.

The theoretical physicist paused before giving an amused, airy laugh. "Humorous. And as a real possibility, slightly terrifying." He got under the covers, his wife doing the same on her side of the bed. "But in all seriousness, with school starting tomorrow, it's caused me to wonder about the state of Marie's education."

The neurobiologist frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sheldon shrugged. "Simply that the idea that our daughter isn't receiving the highest form of learning given her intellect and potential is a thought that keeps me up at night."

"You always told me you couldn't sleep because you were counting Catwomen," Amy pointed out.

"No, I said I was counting Catwomen _because_ I couldn't sleep ... although that trick never works anyway, so I suppose you're technically correct."

Amy nodded a few times, propping herself up on her elbows. "I see. Well, did you hypothesize any solutions to this problem, Dr. Cooper?"

Now Sheldon looked excited. "I did," he said, sitting up also. "Polytechnic School." The theoretical physicist's eager expression remained even when Amy merely blinked in response.

"Sheldon, I know you well enough that I usually don't require elaboration on your answers ... but _what_?"

"Polytechnic School is a private school with a greater dedication to academia and learning opportunities than the regular public school system. Additionally, one must first take an admissions test before being accepted; given that Marie is evidently leaps and bounds ahead of her classmates and almost certainly those in the grades above her, she'll have no trouble getting in, and they'll pay her genius the attention it deserves. The minute she gets there, they'll probably bump her up to sixth grade!"

"You want her to change schools?" Amy asked, rather surprised. "And skip grades? They didn't suggest that she jump ahead last year."

"Yes, and what a slap in the face that was," the theoretical physicist grumbled darkly. "Which is why a school like Polytechnic would be far better for Marie. There she'd be free to fully spread her academic wings."

"While it's an intriguing idea, I'm not sure about her skipping grades," Amy said. "Perhaps her current school has never bumped her up because socially it was better for her to remain with children her own age. A drastic change like that could be difficult for her."

"Nonsense," Sheldon scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "I skipped grades until I graduated at eleven, and look how I turned out."

Amy stared at her husband, this time not blinking. "Yes, that's certainly something to keep in mind while making this decision."

"So it's settled then?" Sheldon asked, oblivious to his wife's misgivings.

The neurobiologist sighed. "Let's wait and see how she does this first week before deciding anything, alright? We'll speak to her teachers and get their opinions, and then we'll discuss the idea with Marie."

Amy was thankful that her husband didn't seem perturbed by her postponing the decision, instead retaining his jovial demeanour as he fell back against his pillows.

"You know?" he said, smiling up at the ceiling. "I'm so excited, I think I'd like to add an extra spooning session into this week."

The neurobiologist raised an intrigued eyebrow, grinning slyly when the theoretical physicist's arms came around her and his head went into the crook of her neck. He should get this eager more often.

**Feel free to review! Next chapter will be the first day of school.**


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